The Green and the Violet
by Stegosaurus1412
Summary: A series of ChrisxAviva one-shots and short stories that take place after the poacher incident in Africa and before JK by yours truly.. *Inspired by a short story by dragonrider1234
1. Like a Swinging Vine

**_SURPRISE! Hey there, it's me Stegz. Just a series of one-shots and short stories I've written that take place before JK. I meant to post this on my first anniversary here in Fanfiction, but I was delayed by technical difficulties. And yes, this was definitely something inspired by dragonrider1234's WK story, and this will take place after the events of that one. Between y'all and me, I'm sometimes a bit of a hopeless romantic at heart (just ask Alex.. :P) and it surprised me a great deal that there's not many romantic one-shots here. Couldn't resist.._**

 ** _DISCLAIMER: I DONOT own Wild Kratts. If I did, it wouldn't be just a kid's show... that and it's my first time writing this type of stuff..._**

"Why did I let you talk me into this?"

"Oh c'mon, Aviva. It'll be fun."

The pair were currently deep in the heart of the Central African rainforest, high up in the canopy well over 200 feet above ground overlooking the rest of the jungle which stretched out like an ocean of green as far as the eye-can-see. Apart from the calls of various tropical birds and monkeys, the jungle was tranquil.

"What's the matter? You swung on vines before."said the Kratt in green.

"That was different!"countered the inventor. "Last time, the Tortuga was nearby. And I certainly wasn't standing 200 feet off the ground!"

"Don't worry. I'll be there to catch you if you fall. Trust me."

Aviva then took her eyes off the ground and back at Chris, who wore a sincere smile. She heaved a sigh; she could rarely say no to that face. "Okay."

 ** _****Earlier...****_**

Soon after the skirmish in Kenya involving a group of poachers capturing lion cubs, the Wild Kratts team decided to explore the lush, tropical jungles of Central Africa, something that had been on the Kratt Brothers' life-list for some time. While the rest of the team was busy trying to find a suitable clearing for the Tortuga to land, Chris had just left Martin's room in a slightly glum state. His older brother had caught a cold not a day before, and the second day is always the worst. He was certainly in no condition for the great outdoors today.

 _Oh man. Who else can I go creature adventuring with?_ thought the Kratt in green. _Koki? Not likely, she prefers the relative tranquility of the computer panel. That and what happened last time with the When Fish Fly adventure. What about Jimmy?_ His thoughts were interrupted as he spied said pilot in the cockpit, steering the Tortuga. He seemed to be in a peaceful state as smooth jazz music blared through his earbuds. _Guess that leaves Jimmy out. Looks like I'll just have to fly solo–_

 _Wait a second_..thought the Kratt in green, snapping his fingers as a sudden realization hit him. _What about Aviva? She loves the outdoors. After all, I gotta ask her out some time, and now just might be it.._

Taking a deep breath and summoning enough courage, the younger Kratt then approached Aviva, who was currently viewing the main computer panel, glancing at footages of the countless creatures that call these African jungles home.

"Hey Aviva."greeted Chris.

"Hey Chris!"she chirped as she turned from the screen facing him.

"So.. I was wondering... Martin's too sick to go creature adventuring today, and umm.. It's never fun to go alone," It was only two weeks since she opened up her heart to him, and he his, yet he _still_ couldn't help but feel a little shy around her. _C'mon, pull yourself together, Chris_ , he mentally scolded himself. "I- I was wondering if you would umm.. like to go with me instead."he finished while rubbing his neck nervously.

Aviva immediately jumped at the opportunity." I'd love to!"she replied with a wide grin. "I'll bring the M.I.K. just in case. Be right back." With that, the inventor planted a quick kiss on his cheek, earning a blush from the Kratt in green, before darting to her quarters to pack up for the day's adventure. Watching her go, Chris couldn't help but break into a grin. _That went well._

It wasn't long before arrangements were made and the pair stood at the edge of the open door, parachutes ready, overlooking the Central African rainforest several hundred feet below them.

"...Compass?"

"Check."

"Binoculars?"

"Check."

"Water?"

"Check."

"First-aid kit, batteries, headlamps?"

"Check, check, check, we're all set."

""Not so fast."added the inventor quickly as she held out a hand. "Creaturepods. We aren't going anywhere without these."

"Oh right. How could I forget?"said a sheepish Chris, hand rubbing his neck. It wasn't long before he felt a playful punch on his shoulder, and he looked to see none other than Martin beaming a smug grin, despite his slightly paler skin and tired eyes from lack of sleep due to his illness.

"Good luck, dude. I wish I could go with you,"–here the older Kratt stifled a cough–" man, I hate being sick."

"Don't worry, bro. I'll tell you how it goes. Once you're feeling better, it'll be the two of us. Remember: bros before ho–"

"Alright, I get it."interjected Martin, now practically pushing his younger brother closer to the entrance. "Just go. Be free. Ya don't wanna keep her waiting. Especially on your first date." Chris flushed bright red as his brother gave him a thumbs up and a wink.

"As soon as we find a spot, I'll send our coordinates."said Koki. "And don't worry, CK. Jimmy and I will take good care of Martin." Chris smiled gratefully. The technician then placed a hand on Aviva's shoulder and added with a wink, giving a thumbs up with her free hand, "Good luck, Aviva."

"We'll jump on the count of three."said the inventor, glancing down at the forest below. "One...two..."

"Last one down's a rotten platypus egg!"yelled Chris as he literally threw caution to the wind, leaping straight out the door like a green arrow, free falling straight for the forest canopy.

 _Might as well_. With that she threw herself out of the Tortuga, falling right after Chris. She deployed her parachute before plummeting feet first, eventually being swallowed into the leafy clouds of a massive forest giant.

"Chris?" She called from her place on a mossy tree limb, looking in all directions, but there was no sign of the Kratt in green, until–

"I'm king of the world!"hollered Chris triumphantly as he stood at the very edge of a high limb on the very same tree with great confidence, without any fear of falling as was that time in the Flight of the Draco adventure. Aviva rolled her eyes in amusement. She admired and somewhat envied that part of him. It seemed as though he wasn't afraid of anything. Without wasting another moment, the inventor then joined him.

"Magnífico."murmured Aviva, taking in the awe-inspiring view, looking over the vast, primeval forest, and it wasn't long before she noticed a familiar smug look on Chris' face.

"I know that look. What's on your mind this time?"

"You'll see," he answered with a wink, excitement written all over his features.

 ** _****Presently...****_**

"This sounded like fun at first,"murmured Aviva nervously, a long vine in hand, glancing at the understory down below, unaware of a mischievous grin crawling on Chris' face. "but now that I'm up here, I'm starting to have second thooooooouuuuuughttsss!"

She screamed out that last part as she felt something push her off the branch, and now she was hanging on to the vine for dear life as she felt herself seemingly falling free, wind in her face, heart racing, her stomach tied in a knot. It wasn't long before her screams were joined by laughs and whoops of glee.

Aviva then glanced over her right shoulder to see Chris falling alongside with her, the only difference being that the Kratt in green had a wide grin on his face, his brown eyes twinkling at the thrill of being high above the ground, in his natural element. After all, he was the climbing brother.

"You're doing great, Aviva!" he yelled in encouragement before adding, "It's all about eye and hand coordination! Here comes the next one! Watch and learn!" With that, the arboreal Kratt stretched out his hand before grabbing another vine overhanging a mossy tree branch, and with almost no effort at all, took off flying once more.

Following Chris' lead, Aviva reached out with her own left hand and succeeded in grasping another vine on the very same limb. She then held on tightly with both hands as she felt herself once more hovering through the jungle, eventually catching up with Chris who was patiently waiting on the massive limb of another rainforest giant which towered over most of the other trees in the jungle. The moment she landed, Aviva had difficulty keeping her balance and almost fell over until Chris' hand shot out like a striking serpent, catching her's on time.

"Not bad, not bad at all!"congratulated the Kratt in green, beaming a smile. "You pushed me!" accused Aviva in mild anger, punching him on the shoulder. Chris slightly winced in pain as he clutched the same area where a poacher's bullet hit him not long before.

"OWW! Okay. I _may_ have deserved that,"he chuckled before the excited flame returned to his brown eyes. "Ready for round two?"

"Ready when you are."answered the inventor with a smile before she warned, eyes narrowed, her finger jabbing his chest, "But _don't you dare_ push me again."causing Chris to throw up his hands in defense before grabbing an overhanging vine. Aviva did likewise.

"Alright. On the count of ten. One. Two.. Ten!"

This time both the inventor and creature adventurer took off at the same time, with Chris doing his best Tarzan impression, yelling at the top of his lungs. Aviva couldn't help but laugh at the younger Kratt's goofiness. Before long, her initial fear was gone, replaced by excitement coursing through her veins, once more feeling the wind in her face, everything in the green scenery passing by like a blur. "This is fun!"she exclaimed.

"I told ya."replied the arboreal creature adventurer with a wink. "Check this out!"

Chris then launched himself from his perspective vine before clinging onto a sturdy tree limb ahead, twirling forward several times before flying several feet in the air once more, then letting gravity take over, performing multiple flips in midair during the descent. A lower vine then broke his free fall.

 _Show-off_..thought Aviva rolling her eyes in amusement, before gaining enough confidence to perform a few stunts of her own.

As Chris leaned against the bole of a sturdy forest giant, keeping a watchful eye on his girlfriend (he's _still_ getting used to that term...), he noticed a flash of yellow flying past him. The expert tree-climber turned his gaze until his eyes fell upon Aviva performing several twirls and flips in midair while grabbing creepers in quick succession. She then landed on an elongated tree limb covered in a green carpet of moss, and let gravity take over, surfing down the branch until it ended in a ramp, tossing her to another creeper.

 _Wow, she sure is a quick study_.. he thought, awe struck as he witnessed Aviva's arboreal performance, marveling at her lithe figure moving gracefully among the vines and the branches. "Way to go, Aviva!"he praised.

Unfortunately the next vine she chose was a dead one, and the added weight caused it to fall apart in a _SNAP!_

"Aviva!"

Aviva felt herself free falling, rapidly descending towards the forest's understory which seemed to be growing bigger and bigger until—"Gotcha!"— she felt a strong arm wrapped around her waist and turning to her right, she was met by Chris's gaze. His left arm held her securely while his right was hanging on to a more durable vine.

"Told ya I'd catch you."he said with a wink.

For a brief moment, all else was forgotten as the pair was lost in each other's eyes, hazel brown meeting stormy gray. Their heads began to drift forward slowly, their eyes beginning to close, lips almost brushing against each other when the trance was broken as Aviva's eyes instinctively looked on before spotting a major obstacle ahead, and it was gaining fast!

"Chris! Watch out for that—" _Thud!_

Aviva's warning came too late as the Kratt in green collided headfirst against a stout tree trunk, causing him to relinquish his grasp on her, rendering him semiconscious before both fell to the understory more than a hundred feet below.

Fortunately Aviva's descent was slowed down by a series of massive rainforest leaves growing along the tree boles until the inventor landed on a convenient branch just ten feet off the ground. Chris wasn't so lucky; the Kratt in green crashed and tumbled against countless resin-covered branches, spitting out leaves accidentally collected in his mouth. One particularly robust limb struck him where the sun didn't shine, earning a yelp of pain from the creature adventurer who then continued his descent before faceplanting to the damp, jungle floor in a resonating _SPLAT!_

Then everything went black.


	2. Where There's Mud

"Chris? Chris? Can you hear me?"

As Chris' eyes slowly regained focus, they were greeted by a pair of stormy gray eyes that belonged to a young woman whose beauty was unrivaled by any spectacle the natural world had to offer. Even the vibrant African violets and orchids that blossomed behind her looked dim in comparison.

"Am–am I in heaven?"came a groggy response as Chris rose on his feet, shaking the dizzy feeling from his head.

Aviva giggled. "No, silly. We're on the ground. Or the forest understory to be exact."

"Oh."

"Are you okay, Cariño?"she asked, concern evident on her features before stopping herself abruptly in mild embarrassment.

"I'm fine, but–" here the Kratt in green tilted his head in confusion–"what does _that_ mean?"

Aviva could feel herself blushing uncontrollably as she answered," Oh, nothing. I-It's a Spanish term of endearment."

"Meaning?"

"Sweetie." Aviva blurted out, face beet-red, earning a chuckle from the Kratt in green before changing the subject.

"Uhh.. Chris? There's mud on your– well, everywhere I guess." At that point, Chris looked around him to see that he was indeed dead center in a large mud wallow the size of an average swimming pool.

"This bank is really steep and slippery."he said, slipping and falling in an attempt to climb out. "I can't climb out. Can you give me a lift? Please?"

"Sure. Just give me your han–Ahhhh!" but Aviva was cut off as Chris tugged her hand with a little too much force, dragging her in the mud pit with him. Despite all his best efforts not to, the Kratt in green soon found himself laughing hysterically while Aviva rose to the surface, wiping the mud off of her face, glaring daggers at her 'assailant'. If looks could kill, he would have died a thousand deaths.

" _¡Té odió tanto, Christopher Fredrick Kratt!"_ she screamed furiously in her first language.

Chris continued laughing until a mud pie shot him dead in the face, sending him splashing in the muck. Turning his head towards the source, he spied Aviva giggling over the mischief she just made. _Two can play at that game_...

Eyes narrowed, he waited for Aviva's giggling to subside before he yelled, "This means waaaaarrrr!"

The inventor shrieked as a well aimed bullet struck her chest, soaking her further. She got the message.

"¡Venga!"challenged Aviva in Spanish, returning fire, hitting the Kratt in green straight on the stomach with such force it almost knocked him over.

Thereupon began a clash of mud as both opponents exchanging rounds and taunts while at the same time, avoiding each other's strikes. For twenty minutes or so the battle waged without a clear winner in sight, for both were evenly matched in their accuracy and tenacity, both determined to outlast the other.

 _And I thought Gourmand had good aim_ , thought Chris, now coated with mud from head to toe, dodging Aviva's missiles before launching another muddy cartridge at his 'enemy', only for the inventor to quickly duck out of the way, causing the projectile to harmlessly fly over her head.

"Missed me by a mile!"boasted Aviva, oblivious to the change in Chris' mood as he suddenly froze in his tracks, eyes widened in dread as he spied movement in the reeds several yards behind her. Oh, no!

"Don't move!"cautioned the Kratt in green, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Like I'm gonna fall for _that_." replied the inventor with a smirk, arms folded.

"No, seriously. Behind you! A Black rhino!"

Aviva instantly whirled around, and to her shock and horror, was met by the piercing glare of an angry rhinoceros with a roll of mud caked on his face. The heavily armored herbivore must have been rudely awakened from his midday slumber in a nearby mud wallow.

 _Ay, Dios mio_ , thought the inventor, heart racing.

"Just back away slowly."whispered the creature adventurer. "Black rhinos have poor eyesight, but they make up for it with their incredible hearing and sensitive nose. The mud should disguise our scent, so move slowly and quietly. No sudden moves."

Aviva nodded before she made her way slowly and cautiously away from the Black rhino until she reached Chris' waiting arms. As one set of feet, the pair slowly retreated backwards up the bank, moving noiselessly until Chris' foot made a misstep, snapping a twig. The rhino's ears pricked at the threatening sound before turning his mammoth head towards the source, eyes narrowed, horns lowered, feet pawing the muddy ground as he snorted steam from his nostrils.

With a resounding bellow, the two-ton behemoth charged!

"Plan B: _Run!"_

Without another moment to lose, the pair sprinted for the brush at full speed with an infuriated Black rhinoceros hot on their tails.

Dashing among a thick grove of bamboo, Aviva and Chris weaved in and out of the labyrinth of shoots. But the bamboo served as no major obstacle for the rhino's unstoppable force as the animal charged headlong through the shoots, reducing them to matchwood.

"He's gaining on us!"cried Aviva as the enraged rhino's thundering footsteps came closer and closer, though neither dared to look behind them. Chris then took a moment to take in their surroundings.

"Not for long!"countered Chris with a wink. "This way!" Taking her hand, the Kratt in green led the inventor under a thick, fallen log, delaying their assailant by a few precious seconds as the brute met the obstacle in a resounding crash, struggling to free his enormous head and horns from underneath the wooded fortress. With a violent jerk of his head, the rhino finally managed to free himself as the log was obliterated in a cloud of wooden splinters and debris before the behemoth started for the trail taken by the pair. After half a minute of searching, he stopped at the base of a mid sized tree before sniffing the air for the two interlopers who disturbed his sleep. The rhino's ears rotated like radar dishes, listening for the slightest sound.

His actions had not gone unnoticed by two figures perched on a stout branch twelve feet above his head.

 _Don't look up, don't look up, don't look up_ , pleaded Aviva mentally upon seeing the horned pachyderm directly beneath their tree. At her side, Chris stood motionlessly as though he had turned to stone, casting a glance that said: _Don't move a muscle_. Fortunately for them, the mud on their skin and clothing masked their scent well enough to render them almost invisible to the short-sighted rhino who assumed the two figures above as part of the tree limbs. Unable to find the intruders, the Black rhinoceros turned tail, lumbering back to his mud wallow, likely to resume his slumber.

As soon as they were sure that the rhino was out of hearing range, the pair released breaths they didn't realize they were holding. "That was a close call."said Chris after a moment of silence. " _Too_ close."replied Aviva, catching her breath.

"All in a day's work for a creature adventurer."added the young Kratt nonchalantly with a chuckle. The words had hardly left his mouth when he felt a sharp pain as a well placed fist struck his right shoulder.

"OWW! _Why_ would you _do_ that?"exclaimed the creature adventurer rather dramatically, clutching his bruised shoulder.

"Just to even the score."replied the inventor nonchalantly. "I _was_ winning that mud fight, you know."

"Nice try."retorted Chris with a cocky smirk, arms folded. "But I was ahead of you by a mudslide and you kno–mff." Much to his surprise, he was cut off mid sentence as he felt Aviva's lips suddenly crash against his own.

 _Oh, what the heck?_ thought the creature adventurer as he wrapped his arms around his girlfriend's waist, returning her affection. _We'll call it a draw_..


	3. Waterfalls, Elephants and Confessions

As the pair traveled through the jungle, whether from the trees or on the understory, following a gentle brook, they caught glimpses of several of the forest's inhabitants, large and small, including a family troop of Western lowland gorillas foraging in the sunlit clearing surrounded by bamboo shoots, led by an imposing silverback; various tropical birds singing and soaring through the canopy; the faint, shadowy silhouette of a black leopard stalking among the undergrowth for antelopes or wild pigs, two cubs following in tow; they even caught sight of the shy and elusive okapi, a zebralike animal closely related to the giraffe, according to Chris.

The sun was sinking lower as they moved into the next clearing. Aviva and Chris were momentarily blinded by the sun's rays as they left the leafy curtains of the jungle behind them. Adjusting to the light, the spectacle that greeted their eyes was a waterfall cascading from the side of mossy cliffs, water emptying into several streams that meandered into a crystal clear watering hole, its waterways teeming with dozens of elephants.

"¡Increíble!"exclaimed Aviva.

"African forest elephants!"cried the creature adventurer in an excited whisper. "A whole different species from African plains elephants like Thornsley. They're much smaller than their savannah cousins; around 6,000 pounds; to better allow them to move through dense jungle. While plains elephants range through the open grasslands and savannahs throughout most of Subsaharan Africa, forest elephants are only found here, within the rainforests of Central and West Africa."

Their size wasn't the only difference that set these pachyderms apart from the grassland giants the pair knew well; their ears were considerably smaller and rounder, but still the shape of their native continent. And the tusks of these animals were straighter and pointed downwards; The tusks of a nearby bull were exceptionally long, almost reaching the ground. The rest of the group consisted of younger bulls, and several females with their offspring, which was still smaller in number than an average herd of savannah-dwelling elephants.

One inquisitive calf strolled up to the pair, while still under the watchful eye of his mother.

"Ay, qué lindó."cooed the inventor as the baby elephant started to curiously sniff the strange creature before him with his wobbly trunk, poking her nose on the process, earning a giggle from the human.

"He must be only three weeks old."observed the Kratt in green. He then felt a light shove as the calf butted his head on the creature adventurer's leg, prompting him to laugh in amusement.

"Inquisitive little guy, isn't he?"remarked the inventor.

"Yeah. We're probably the first humans he's ever seen–Aghhh!" Chris felt himself falling forward as the elephant calf playfully rammed him from behind, sending the Kratt in green splashing in the mud. This prompted Aviva to laugh until something rather unusual caught her eye.

"Wait. What's the mother elephant doing?" Aviva pointed to where the forest elephant cow began to wade knee-deep in a stagnant pool before dipping her trunk in the water. What came next was an explosion of bubbles before the trunk resurfaced, with a trunkful of what appeared to be mud. The cow then brought the contents into her waiting mouth.

"I don't believe it!"exclaimed Chris, picking himself off the ground. "She's digging for mineral-rich clay." Seeing the inventor's confused glance, he continued while scanning the cow's stomach with his Creaturepod: "See how she's blowing bubbles with her trunk? She's blowing away at the mud and silt to get at the clay. Many of the plants she eats are toxic. The clay underneath has medicinal properties, and by eating that clay, she neutralizes the toxins in her stomach and enriches her blood. "

"Oh, I get it."said Aviva in understanding, "It's just like how chimpanzees swallow certain leaves to kill stomach parasites."

"Or what happened during the Huge Orange Problem adventure, when Huge-O taught us the knowledge of the Bornean rainforest."added Chris, smiling at the memory. "If Martin were here, he'd call this clearing 'Nature's pharmacy'."

All around the watering hole, other elephants were mining for clay, as the youngsters ran between the legs of the adults and played together, spraying each other with their trunks and holding head-butting competitions, testing their developing strength. It wasn't long before other animals came out of the shadows and stepped into the light of the clearing; mild mannered forest buffaloes, red river hogs and even the normally skittish Bongo antelope who seldom wander outside the shelter of the forest all came to enjoy the fresh grazing and salt licks the sunlit clearing had to offer.

"Magnífico."murmured Aviva, marveling at the enchanting sight, completely oblivious to Chris reaching for something in his backpack. She squealed in shock as she found herself showered by a sudden torrent of water and clay from behind.

Wiping the mud off her head, the inventor turned around to see Chris in an Elephant Power Suit, trunk stained brown, laughing his head off.

"You are _so_ gonna get it."growled Aviva, gray eyes narrowed in a mock glare as she held a mud pie in her hand, ready to take revenge on her assailant before hurling it at the green pachyderm, hitting him dead in the face. His shocked expression was enough for her to laugh hysterically.

After a brief moment of shock, a blaring war trumpet sounded as the Kratt in elephant form charged forward, spraying the inventor in another cold shower of mud and water. Aviva quickly took cover behind a nearby elephant to avoid another onslaught. Pressing a button on the M.I.K strapped to her back, Aviva then held a robust gun similar to the one wielded by Gourmand, only instead of dough or batter, it was loaded with muddy cartridges. Needless to say, Chris' eyes widened in shock and mild horror as she sprang out of cover, her shoulder mounted weapon fully loaded; he had become more wary of firearms since the poacher incident.

"Y–You wouldn't."stammered the green elephant, hoping it was a bluff.

"I would."she replied with a devious smile. _BANG!_

The green elephant was send flat on his back by the sheer force of the shot, splattering in the mud.

"Now we're even." Those words had barely left Aviva's mouth when she felt an unexpected blast from behind. Turning around, gun held ready, her deadpan stare melted into a warm smile as she spied the same elephant calf from moments before.

"Aww, hi sweetie."she chirped, lowering her mud-blaster.

"I guess he wants to play too."remarked Chris with a chuckle. The words had hardly left his mouth when a torrent of water assaulted his face, followed by a well aimed mud pie to the same location.

A water war of titanic proportions erupted in the middle of the river clearing as the pair drenched each other continuously, laughing, screaming, trumpeting and shouting idle threats at each other. It was enormous fun, especially with the playful calf splashing them both, and drew a lot of bewildered looks from the other creatures watching nearby.

After clearing his goggles of mud from a recent attack, the green elephant dipped his artificial trunk in a nearby pool, sucking up a trunkful of water. Once it was full, Chris unleashed a powerful torrent, gushing nonstop at every point of the compass, hitting everywhere within a trunk's radius. The only target he hit, however, was the baby elephant who simply gurgled in amusement and sprayed him back. Aviva was nowhere to be seen.

Chris scratched his head with his trunk."Huh. Where'd she go?"

" _Gotcha!_ "

Before he could move, Chris felt a mud pie collide with the back of his head, and in that moment, something landed on his shoulders, scaring him half out of his wits, sending him landing flat on his stomach splattered in mud.

From atop his back, Aviva laughed uncontrollably at her aerial assault, while her 'victim' was coughing and blowing mud out of his trunk.

"What the– where did _you_ come from?"asked the creature adventurer in disbelief.

"Let's just say Tusky here gave me a lift."replied Aviva once her laughter subsided.

"Who?"

The inventor pointed to an older calf, likely a teenager, who trumpeted in answer. Aviva must have climbed upon his broad back in order to surprise Chris from above. The younger calf soon joined Aviva in torturing the green pachyderm by adding his two hundred pound heft to the dog pile, sitting on him.

"I can't breathe.."gasped the Kratt in green before feigning annoyance, rolling his eyes. "Get off of me!"

"Do you surrender?"asked Aviva, barely able to wipe the smirk off her face.

"Not a chance–AGHHHH!" Chris' boast was cut short as Tusky showered the trio in a sudden gust of cold water. The inventor giggled, using her hands in a vain attempt to shield herself from the torrent.

"Okay, okay. You win. _You_ win. Can you _please_ get off me now?" Aviva obliged. The young calf, however, seemed to be comfortable with his green cushion and began to lay on his side. Luckily for the green elephant, Aviva whispered something to Tusky's big ear. The young bull seemed to understand and gently nudged the baby off of the living pancake. He then began to lead the playful calf back within the herd where their mother waited expectantly.

"My back."whined Chris after rising to his feet with a little help from the inventor, who chuckled. "Deactivate!" After briefly being enveloped in a green flash, the young Kratt returned to his proper form. By his side, Aviva waved to the two elephants as they rejoined their herd.

"Bye Tusky! Bye Squirtle!" The pair trumpeted in answer.

"Squirtle? Really?"asked Chris incredulously, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh c'mon! That's the perfect name."pouted Aviva. The Kratt in green chuckled. He always thought it was cute whenever she pouted, crossing her arms.

Before long, the sun began to sink below the canopy. The elephant cows began to gather their offspring before disappearing among the trees in surprising silence. Not even the twigs snapped under their feet. The bulls followed suit, though they wandered the jungle alone.

Once the forest elephants had moved back into the jungle's green depths, the pair stood by the base of the waterfall, washing away the mud and clay off their clothing and hair as they were showered by the cascading water from above.

"Can I ask you something?"said Chris after a period of silence. "Well, since we're in the shower together–"began Aviva teasingly before being cut off by Chris.

"I'm serious!"exclaimed the Kratt in green with a slightly embarrassed laugh, prompting the inventor to laugh at his facial expression, which was almost bright red.

So," began Chris after regaining his composure. "What is it you find in me that's so appealing to you? Is it my dashing good looks?" At this point, he violently shook his head dry, forming his characteristic spiky hair before attempting a suave smile.

"Dream on."deadpanned Aviva mockingly, giving him a light shove. "Though it doesn't hurt that you're kinda cute." She emphasized her point by playfully ruffling his hair.

Chris then went on rather seriously, briefly turning from her:"All jokes aside, I'm just not quite sure what it is you see in me; I mean, I haven't exactly been very lucky in my love life growing up; I'm a little new to all this. Even Martin's a natural charmer compared to me; no girls have ever been that interested in me enough for me to even pursue a relationship, I think."

" _I_ was. For quite some time actually."answered the inventor earnestly, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You're really smart, handsome, funny. You're sweeter than any other boy I've met. Not to mention you're also very brave. You're not afraid to stick up for what you believe in or to protect what you hold dear, no matter the consequences. I sometimes wished I had that kind of courage."

"You do. All those times you saved me and Martin from all sorts of sticky situations? That takes someone with a great deal of bravery. If you were any braver, you'd be a lioness." That statement earned a blush from the inventor. "And that's one of the many things I like about _you_."

"Really? Is there anything else?"asked Aviva flirtatiously, batting her eyelashes.

"That's easy. You're insanely smart; I mean none of this would even be possible without your brilliance. You're very caring, talented, tenacious. A _lot_ of fun to be around. It doesn't hurt that you're also really beautiful."

"Really?" This time she was genuinely shocked. Apart from her family, no one had ever told her such words.

"Believe me. I've seen so many things in the creature world that can take one's breath away," here he cast a loving glance at the inventor before he finished, "but none more so than you, Aviva."

Visibly moved by his confession, Aviva inched closer to the creature adventurer until they were only just inches apart. She then pulled Chris in a tight embrace, much to his surprise.

"I love you."whispered the inventor, burying her face on his shoulder.

"I–I love you too."replied the young Kratt, returning the embrace before his eyes widened as he felt Aviva's lips pressed against his own;however, he eventually relaxed into the kiss and began to return it. The kiss was slow and sweet, lasting until both had to part for air. Breathing heavily from the need for oxygen, both Chris and Aviva stayed close enough so that their foreheads touched as they gazed into each other's eyes, stormy gray meeting hazel brown, forgetting all else— until a familiar ringing broke the spell.

"The Creaturepods!"exclaimed the couple simultaneously before racing out of the water, to a pile of rocks where they left them. The inventor reached hers first.

"Where _are_ you guys?"came Koki's voice through Aviva's Creaturepod. "It's almost sundown."

"Oh, we're uhh.. in the center of a big jungle clearing."answered the inventor awkwardly.

"Send is us the coordinates and we'll be on our way."replied Chris.

"I sent our coordinates to you lovebirds hours ago."deadpanned the technician.

"You did?"responded the Kratt in green sheepishly before checking his device. "Let's see, the Tortuga should be just–" just as Chris was glancing at his GPS, Aviva froze his hand while pointing at the far end of the clearing. "Umm Chris? They're right over there."

And indeed, the terrapin aircraft was parked just across the series of streams, its turquoise shell blending almost perfectly with the surrounding vegetation. Had all the lights been off, they likely would have missed the H.Q in the fading sunlight.

"I guess we should get going."said Chris after a moment of awkward silence.

"Yeah."replied Aviva as she began to walk back to the Tortuga. But she didn't get far as she stopped abruptly as though remembering something. "Oh, one more thing."

"Yes?"

The inventor answered him not with words, but with a passionate kiss on his lips, much to Chris' surprise. She parted abruptly, giggling at his bewildered face.

"Thank you so much for my first date. I had fun."

"First date? Oh, right umm..sure. Anytime Aviva." For the first time in his life, Chris was at a loss of words. Another giggle.

With that, she continued on her way.

Watching her go, the Kratt in green heaved a sigh of pure bliss before following her back to the Tortuga. This was one day he'll never forget.

 ** _**** And that concludes this short story. I hope I did okay with that one and that you readers enjoyed it. Y'know, I've noticed the surprising lack of creature adventures or anything animal related written on this site these days and personally it makes me kinda sad; especially being a dude whose first love is the natural world, and that's one of the many reasons I enjoy watching WK. P.s I think I should also mention that I was inspired by an episode of Planet Earth with writing the forest elephant encounter and the facts about them are true (and I should know, considering that elephants are my favorite animals..). And don't worry; I'm not finished yet.. ;)_**


	4. Bed and Breakfast

Aviva dozed peacefully in her room as the sun's early morning rays filtered through the window. Not long ago, she and Koki had installed separate individual bedrooms into the Tortuga (due to some rude awakenings from a pair of crazy creature adventurers countless mornings before..). Needless to say, she's been getting better night's sleep ever since.

It was one of those lazy mornings. No creature missions, no new inventions to work on, just peace and quiet–" _AGHHHHH!_ " _Scratch that_..

The silence of the Tortuga was broken by a bloodcurdling scream. Another soon followed, later joined by the blaring of the smoke detector. So much for a peaceful morning...

Now fully awake, Aviva heaved a sigh. Getting out of bed to investigate the commotion, she slowly made her way to the main room, rubbing her eyes. Following the racket to the kitchen, the door parted where an unpleasant surprise awaited.

"What the–?"

The kitchen looked like a war-zone; pots and pans were scattered about, several plates laid broken and shattered, and the stove burst into flames. Laid out on top, an oil filled frying pan roared to life. A startled yelp escaped her lips as barrage of oily bullets leaping forth, almost hitting the inventor. She quickly flipped it off. The smoke detector was silenced as she turned that off as well.

This was definitely not the work of Jimmy Z; his room may be unsavory, but his culinary talents were most certainly not. If anything, the redheaded video game-addict was just as talented at cooking as piloting the Tortuga, and he almost never leaves a mess, much less set off the alarm. Besides, she could hear him snoring in his room not far away. Koki could definitely be crossed off the suspect list since apart from helping JZ, she almost never cooks. This could only mean two culprits.

" _Kratt Brothers!_ "yelled Aviva, turning her head towards the island counter. It wasn't long before Chris was forcefully shoved out of his hiding place behind the island counter as a flash of blue dashed full speed out of the kitchen.

"It was _him!_ "

 _Thanks a lot, bro_ , thought Chris, sending a glare in the direction Martin went before turning his attention to an angry Aviva.

"Oh, umm.. Hey, Aviva. How's your morning?"the Kratt in green chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. Personally the young Kratt would rather face a charging tiger than his girlfriend's anger.

"How was my morning?! I _was_ enjoying some extra hours of sleep until I heard a certain pair of _payasos_ _salvajes_ _gritando_ _como_ _loco!_ Now what do you two have against the concept of sleep?! And why is the kitchen a mess?"

"I'm really sorry, Aviva. I was just preparing breakfast. I wanted it done by the time you were awake."

Aviva's anger softened upon hearing the younger Kratt's confession. _Awww, that's so sweet_ , she thought. The Kratt in question went on.

"I was never really the best cook, so Martin decided to help out. We tried making those taquitos that your mom used to make when we were kids.."

 ** _*Flashback...*_**

"Remind me why we're doing this again?"asked Martin as he and Chris cut several boiled chicken breasts into fine shreds. "Couldn't we just make pancakes or something?"

"I wanna prepare something really special for Aviva. We've been together for a month now, and you of all people know full well that my cooking's not the best in the world."

"Yeah, I'd rather eat at Gourmand's than anything you prepare in the kitchen."replied the Kratt in blue jokingly, laughing a little. "His chocolate sauce _was_ off the charts."

Chris wasn't amused. "Very funny, bro. I've been thinking; maybe we can prepare those taquitos that Aviva's mom used to make."

"Now that you mention it, taquitos _do_ sound good right now. It's been ages since we last had Mexican food." Martin's mouth watered at the very thought.

"So what do you say, brother o mine?"asked the Kratt in green already donning a green apron that said: _Eat WildKrattsCafé_ before passing a blue one to Martin. The Kratt in question simply beamed an infectious grin before the both shouted:

"Let's get cooking!"

Together the Kratt Brothers experimented with and prepared lemonade with lime and made bacon and sunny side eggs almost professionally.

"That wasn't so bad."remarked the Kratt in blue confidently, once they had most of the entrees prepared.

"Now for the hard part,"replied Chris after placing a batch of cupcakes in the oven. Long dramatic pause before they answered in unison: "The taquitos."

It took much trial and error before the taquitos took on their proper form. Once a good number were assembled, Martin turned on the stove after filling a good sized frying pan with cooking oil.

"Next step: Put the tacos into the frying pan and let them fry until the tortillas have turned brown and crispy."read Chris from a culinary website on his Creaturepod. "Simple enough."

No sooner had the first batch of taquitos touched the pan when they briefly caught on fire, startling the two Kratts who recoiled their hands back in shock.

"Martin, you put the setting on too high!"

"I'm sorry!"

All hell broke lose as the stove came alive with flames and oily bullets flew out of the cauldron in all directions. One pellet hit the Kratt in blue square on the forehead, causing him to holler wildly in pain.

"Martin!"

Martin then felt himself being tackled to the ground by a flash of green. Chris then yelped in pain as his hand was struck by a drop of fiery hot liquid.

" _TAKE COVER!_ " yelled the brothers simultaneously.

It was every Kratt for himself as they bolted for cover, hiding behind the island counter, knocking over pots, pans, and plates in the process. Overhead the smoke detector blared loudly, echoing across the kitchen.

"Mamma Corcovado made it look so easy!"said the younger Kratt clutching his hand.

"Look on the bright side, bro. We did such a good job that even the smoke alarm's cheering us on."

But Martin's remark only received a deadpan stare from Chris before he felt a flick on his forehead, causing the Kratt in blue to yelp in pain once more.

 _ ***End of Flashback...***_

"Who knew cooking can be so dangerous?"

The inventor giggled over the mental picture of the brothers Kratt, fearless creature adventurers who could approach the biggest and most dangerous animals, dodging and evading an endless barrage of oily bullets from a little frying pan, seeking refuge behind the counter as though WWIII broke out.

"Are you okay, Chris?"she asked, seeing the Kratt in green wince in pain, clutching one of his hands.

"My hand got burned. Real bad."

"Ay, pobresito."cooed Aviva, gently taking her boyfriend's burned hand, kissing it. "Here's an old trick my mom taught me. This may sting just a little."

Taking a bottle of mustard, she applied a small drop on the burn. Chris flinched slightly on contact, but pain slowly gave way to relief, evident from the sigh that escaped his lips.

"Feeling better?"

"Much. Thanks, Aviva."

"Successful or not, this is just about the sweetest thing anyone's ever tried to do for me."

"Though I doubt I'll ever try cooking taquitos again anytime soon."added the Kratt in green, rubbing the back of his neck, his face red in embarrassment.

"Then why don't we prepare the next batch together?"offered the inventor.

"Really?" She nodded.

"Sounds great!" Aviva giggled at the young Kratt's childlike enthusiasm, and before she knew it, he pulled her in a tight embrace. It didn't take Aviva very long to return the hug. _I wish this moment could last forever_ , Aviva thought to herself, until she caught whiff of something. "Is something burning?" Chris' eyes widened as though someone told him a certain creature went extinct. "The cupcakes!"

No more was said as the Kratt in green darted over to the oven. Watching him go, Aviva rolled her eyes in amusement as she helped herself to a bit of the bacon and eggs the two amateur chefs prepared. _Mmm... delicioso_. Chris soon came back with a batch of cupcakes smothered in purple buttercream frosting. "For you."

"Mmm. Delicioso.."complimented the inventor after trying one.

"Thanks. Martin and I did a lot of baking when we were kids." He was just about to take a bite himself when he felt himself being dragged anxiously by the hand. "Hey!"

"C'mon, Cariño. Lemme show you how it's done."said the inventor with a wink.

After a few minutes, the two had just prepared a fine batch of crispy taquitos when they were suddenly caught by surprise as an angry feminine voice yelled: " _What_ _the_ _heck happened_ _around here?!_ "

 ** _**** Personally_** **_I found this one-shot a lot of fun to write; I could not stop laughing at the idea of the Kratt bros having a little mishap while cooking.. that and taquitos are a favorite treat of mine.._**


	5. Night to Remember

Two weeks later, the team was stationed on the unique island of Madagascar, home of countless creatures found nowhere else on earth. It was the start of the rainy season and the Tortuga was parked in a clearing surrounded by a ring of trees and other tropical flora. Martin and Chris had spent almost the entire day from dawn to dusk hanging out with a troop of sifaka lemurs, a unique species known for their vertical clinging and leaping locomotion among the trees and barbs of the spine forest, all without being pricked.

Later that evening, while the rest of the crew were sleeping, Chris was still feeling restless. Sleep was the last thing on his mind as he headed towards one of the exits for a walk.

Ever since the Gecko Effect adventure, the two Kratt Brothers had often taken late night strolls such as this. But it seemed as though sleep had already claimed the Kratt in blue as he snored in his hammock, arms clutching a teddy bear. Chris tapped his hand on Martin's shoulder, causing the older creature adventurer to mumble something unintelligible in his sleep, turning away. _Looks like I'll be walking solo_ , thought Chris, watching his brother sleep before he stealthily made his way out the hatch through the maw of the Tortuga. But his departure had not gone unnoticed.

Meanwhile in the inventions garage, Aviva was hard at work on her latest invention. She was extremely close to brink of finishing that sleep was the last thing on her ever creative mind. Seeing the excited looks of the Kratts' faces was usually well worth sacrificing sleep besides. _Especially Chris_ , she thought with a smile.

She was however brought out of her productive trance when she heard one of the doors opening from the second hatch followed by silent footsteps. That usually meant only one thing.

The Kratt in green hardly made it to the edge of the jungle clearing when—

"And just where do you think _you're_ going?"asked a voice directly behind him. With a startled yelp, the creature adventurer whirled around in a ridiculous karate stance until he realized it was only his girlfriend who giggled at his antics. Heaving a sigh of relief, Chris then dropped his guard.

"Oh. Hi Aviva. I was jus–what're you doing out here?"

"I was just about to ask you the same thing."she replied.

"I'm sorry if I disturbed you, but I just–"

"Couldn't sleep?" Aviva finished for him.

"Yeah. How'd you know?"

"A girl has her ways."said the inventor nonchalantly, examining her nails. "So where were you heading off to?"

"There's this really cool place I wanted to check out with Martin. But he's out cold. Not to mention he's just as heavy a sleeper as JZ. And the real magic happens at night. Wanna come with?"

Aviva thought for a while. "You know what? I'd love to." With that, she took Chris's hand in her own, interlocking fingers.

 _ **...(BG Music: Sundown in Madagascar by African Tribal Orchestra)**_

The full moon illuminated overhead, unhindered by any clouds, offering her silver light to the couple.

"We're here."announced the creature adventurer after a half mile trek through the jungle. "The baobab forest."

"Magnifico."

The pair had arrived to a circular clearing ringed by towering baobab trees which stood eighty feet in height, recognizable by their characteristic bottle-shaped trunks and branches that gave the appearance of tree roots. For that reason, they were sometimes called upside down trees according to Chris. At this time of year, the normally barren branches bore not only fresh, tender young leaves, but also hundreds of white blossoms.

"Wow. They're beautiful."said Aviva, glancing upwards at the delicate buds adorning the ancient branches.

"Wanna get an even closer look?"asked the Kratt in green with an all too familiar smile. Before she could even reply, a surprised squeal escaped Aviva's lips as she felt Chris's right arm wrap around her waist. Using his free hand he fired a grappling hook which pulled them high among the branches until landing in the center where the tree bole met the thick branches, which was more than wide enough for both to stand in.

If Aviva thought the baobab flowers looked beautiful from the forest floor below, they were even more breathtaking up close; They were about the size of saucers, measuring up to five inches across, adorned with delicate white, waxy petals which gradually pulled up like a lady's skirt curtseying for the queen right before their eyes. And that wasn't all.

"Oh my gosh! They're blooming!"exclaimed the inventor, hardly able to contain her excitement.

"Yeah. Once they get started, the baobab flowers can open fully in less than a minute, so you can literally watch them in action."informed Chris. "The blossoms stay alive for just twenty four hours, so by the time the sun sets the next day, the flowers are spent."

"Increíble."

Before long, Aviva's attention was drawn by more than just the flowers in blossom.

"Chris, look!"

From out of little hollows in the tree limbs came scores of little furry masses. The pair immediately identified them as "Mouse lemurs!" No doubt that the normally solitary mouselike primates were hibernating together through the harsh dry season, living off their fat reserves. One landed directly on top of Chris' head, startling him half out of his wits.

" _Aghhh! Monster lemur!_ " Aviva couldn't help laughing as the fearless creature adventurer, her creature adventurer, was freaked out by a tiny mouse lemur no bigger than her hand. The lemur was equally started by Chris' reaction and leaped straight into Aviva's arms.

"I don't see why you and Martin are afraid of mouse lemurs. I think they're just the cutest little animals in the world."cooed the inventor, petting the minuscule primate with her finger as it perched on her hand.

"That last adventure gave me nightmares for _two_ _weeks_ straight," Chris said, shivering at the memories. "That and Martin and I wouldn't use the Miniaturizer for a whole month." Another giggle that earned a mock glare.

The lemurs made their way to the flowers, where they were helping themselves to drinking the sticky nectar that trickled down the petals. "No better way to start the rainy reason than a sip of sweet, energy-rich nectar."said Chris, watching the little primates drink to their hearts' content.

"Wait. What is that?"

Above the canopy descended a moving mass that resembled a small cloud. But peering closely, the creature adventurer was able to make out a vanguard of delicate wings fluttering noiselessly down among the branches.

"Hawk moths!"

Before long, hundreds of the winged insects descended on the vibrant baobab flowers, each one landing on scattered petals just above the couple's heads.

"Just what the baobab flowers ordered!"exclaimed Chris cheerfully. "See, as they feed on the nectar from tree to tree, the moths transfer pollen and fertilize the flowers."

"They're the baobab's pollinators."concluded Aviva.

"Exactly– Uh oh, here it comes."murmured the Kratt in green, having noticed they weren't the only ones watching the moths in action. "Three. Two. One.."

No sooner had an unwary hawk moth landed on the flower's petals than a mouse lemur pounced on the unsuspecting insect, grabbing it with its nimble hands before devouring its victim, the wings slowly sinking down to the ground before the pair watching below.

A brief pause. "Yeah. I suppose they _are_ rather scary when you're mini-sized."said a wide-eyed Aviva, still not believing what she had just seen. All around them, hawk moths were dropping like flies as the voracious little predators continued their onslaught.

"Oh no, they're eating too many moths! Shouldn't we stop them?"

"Nope. The mouse lemurs need to replenish their fat reserves for the dry season ahead."

"But they're killing the baobab's pollinators and robbing it of its nectar."

"But see how the some of the mouse lemurs have pollen in their fur?"answered the Kratt in green, gesturing to a particularly dusty primate. "When they wrestle the moths, some of their fur gets dusted with pollen. Turns out, they're pollinators too." As if to prove Chris' point, the mouse lemur leaped towards an untouched flower and began to lap down the nectar oozing down the petal base, washing down the remains of its meal. "So now this flower has what it needs to make baobab fruits in the future."

A moment of peaceful silence reigned. "Nature never ceases to amaze me."remarked the inventor.

"Mm-hmm," hummed Chris absentmindedly.

"I guess it's time for us to be heading down now."she said as they both made their way towards the edge of the baobab's thick branches, several of them girdled by tangly creepers hanging just above their heads. Upon seeing the vines, the pair shared knowing glances.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"asked the Kratt in green.

"I'm definitely thinking what you're thinking."replied Aviva with a wink, already grabbing hold of a good vine in one hand while gently holding Chris' hand in the other. Soon the pair stood crouched unto their respective tree limb, vines in hand, both poised to leap into action.

"Ready... set... go!"

On that exclamation, the pair made their leap of faith, descending down to the understory eighty feet below. Feeling the freedom of soaring through the cool night air, Aviva allowed herself to twirl in mid flight, laughing cheerfully at the exhilaration of feeling the wind in her hair and a certain weightlessness in her soul whenever she was above the ground. Chris soon came to her side, his left hand slowing down the inventor's respective trailing plant while his right maintained its grasp on his own vine. The two vines then crossed and wrapped around each other, bringing the two closer to each other. Aviva turned away blushing as the Kratt in green smiled at her, his brown eyes casting a loving glance.

Leaving the moths and lemurs behind them, Chris and Aviva strolled further along the moonlit clearing. For several minutes not a word was spoken between them as they walked along the forest trail, the only sounds being the nocturnal choruses of the creatures echoing across the night.

"The jungle sure is beautiful at night."said Aviva, after taking a deep breath of the clean night air, admiring the scenery.

"It sure is."replied Chris, gazing at her with a half-lidded stare, a dreamy smile glued to his face. Catching his gaze, the inventor bashfully turned her head away trying to hide her blush. The Kratt in green's smile grew bigger. For a moment, a dark cloud briefly covered the moon's silver light, limiting the pair's visibility. A startled yelp escaped Chris' lips as his foot made contact with an exposed tree root.

"Chris!"

Soon he found himself falling forwards before the Kratt in green instinctively tried to right himself, rolling forward until he untangled himself in a leap, performing three forward flips ere lemur-landing on a robust log in his path.

Aviva quickly ran up to him. "Are you alright?"

"I meant to do that!"he said with a chuckle from his wooded platform, dusting himself. The inventor rolled her eyes at his remark.

At that moment, the cloud receded, allowing the lunar glow to return, her light filtering down into the glade where they now stood, almost as though they were standing in the spotlight. This gave Chris an idea.

"Chris," Aviva laughed, watching the Kratt in green balancing himself on the fallen log before he launched himself in the air with a spin, grabbing an overhanging vine ultimately landing back to earth with his trademark pose. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, just dancing," he replied, grinning his goofy grin as he spun around in the clearing as though he were possessed by one of Donita's pose beams. Aviva giggled, ruffling his spiky hair.

"You're such a goofball,"

Chris chuckled. "And you just found this out?" She simply rolled her eyes in amusement.

The creature adventurer then surprised the inventor with a series of backflips across the jungle floor, ending his feat with a handstand. She never ceased to be amazed by his agility whether in the trees or on the ground. Inwardly she wondered if he ever went to gymnastics class in the school years. Walking on his hands, Chris made his way over to Aviva until–"Ahh! Oof!"– he fell forward, landing hard on his bottom. "Oww... Not one of my better landings."

Muffling her laughter behind her left hand, the Tortuga designer extended her right one to assist the fallen Kratt. Chris accepted gratefully. One he was back on his feet, he extended his own.

"May I take this dance?"asked the Kratt in green coyly, with a bow, earning another giggle from Aviva.

"Why of course you may. But.."–here she raised an eyebrow–"there's no music."

"Listen."came the simple reply.

At first the inventor wasn't sure what she was hearing, until her ears caught onto the silent bells of the nocturnal insects and the hooting of an owl perched on the highest branches; the gentle sway of the grasses as they danced before the calm night winds; the rustling the mouse lemurs made as they raced along the baobab branches and the choruses of tree frogs calling in the darkness; the night song of the Malagasy forest.

Like a newborn antelope taking its first tentative steps, Aviva slowly made her way through the moonlit dance floor, one foot in front of the other. As the nightly choruses grew, so too did her confidence.

Moving with the rhythm of the night, Aviva performed her signature move, spinning on one foot, dancing effortlessly until her other foot met an exposed tree root, causing her to lose her balance. She struggled to right herself, but gravity had other plans. Falling backwards with a squeal, the inventor expected to hit the forest floor, but instead landed in Chris' strong arms. Their gazes locked for a moment as Aviva leaned against him.

"Oops." A nervous giggle escaped her lips as she felt her cheeks flushing in embarrassment. Chris chuckled in response while she blew a stray hair from her vision. As he helped her regain footing, Aviva quickly recovered, swirling as Chris lifted his arm.

"The earth has music for those who listen."said Chris gently as they waltzed around the clearing, now illuminated not only by the full moon's glow, but also by scores of lightning bugs hovering among the foliage seeking dance partners of their own. From the trees above, their silent dance was observed by the golden eyes of curious mouse lemurs.

The pair danced on, oblivious to all else, eyes fixed only on each other.

"You never cease to amaze me."whispered Aviva, leaning her head against his shoulder, listening to his heart beating steadily like a drum.

The pair then gazed deeply into each other's eyes, hazel brown meeting stormy gray, their faces slowly drifting closer and closer, eyelids beginning to close, until they paused, now just a lip's distance apart. A momentary pause... until the next moment, their lips met in a passionate kiss. Aviva's arms wrapped around Chris' neck as his strong but gentle arms constricted around her waist, deepening the kiss, slow yet full of meaning and passion, and with the peaceful song of the Malagasy jungle surrounding them, it is perfect.

Admittedly, the trip back took longer than it should have. But Chris and Aviva were in no hurry and strolled leisurely, hand in hand, back to the Tortuga HQ, exchanging glances and whispers.

"Te amo."

"I love you too."

 ** _**** I just wanna thank all of you guys so much for all your reviews (especially you dragonrider1234.. ;) ) I honestly didn't really think that these stories would get very many. It really means a lot to me as an author. And thank you Guest reader dude, whoever you are, for that great idea of yours. As for that musical track, it served as a major inspiration, so I felt it was just perfect for this particular short. (I'm not exactly known for my talent in selecting music, I mean my buddy Alex is a master at that stuff..) It's called_** ** _Sundown in Madagascar_** ** _and it can be found on YouTube._**

 ** _P.S please be sure to check out an all new crossover story called_** ** _Cadillacs and Wild Kratts_** ** _on LionKingAlex's fanfiction page starring the WK Team and the cast of Cadillacs and Dinosaurs (for those of you who grew up with the game..). It's a really cool action-packed tale 65 million years in the making, full of surprises, and I'm very proud to say that I'm sort of the coauthor in that story. That's right: me and Alex are working together on this one! :D Please don't miss it! You won't be disappointed.. ;)_**


	6. The Morning After

"So what now? I mean, I know that I have to make it up to everyone, especially Martin, but what about us?"pondered the Kratt in green.

"What do you want us to be?" Aviva said flirtatiously, winding her arms around Chris, batting her eyelashes.

Blushing furiously, Chris murmured softly under his breath, while placing his hands on the smalls of her back, "I would like to give us a chance."

"I'm sorry. What?"

"I said I would like to give us a chance. I _do_ have feelings for you."

"I would like that. And I have deep feelings for you too. For quite some time actually." Aviva smiled and leaned in to capture Chris's lips in another passionate kiss once again that night; however, this time, he didn't take a long time to return the kiss. When they parted, Chris whispered softly into Aviva's ear, "Now I have another reason to live to come back home."

Humming in happiness, Aviva whispered back, "And just know that we will always be there, waiting."

But soon, tiredness was starting to reclaim its hold on the creature adventurer. "It's getting pretty late."said Chris with a yawn. "I think I'll turn in for the night." With that, the Kratt in green began to make his way towards his hammock. But he didn't go far when he felt a soft touch on his good shoulder.

"Chris?"

"Hmm?"

"I was wondering if–if.. forget it. It's silly."

"C'mon, Aviva."replied the drowsy Kratt with a gentle smile. "Nothing you say can be any sillier than me and Martin's shenanigans."

"Hmm. Good point."

"Besides, you can tell me anything."

Aviva couldn't help but play with her hair as she stammered. "Well, I couldn't get any sleep, so I was wondering if.. I could umm..sleep with you tonight?"

Chris was caught by surprise to say the least. Just several minutes ago, they had unveiled their their inmost feelings, opening their hearts to one another for the very first time. And now she was requesting to share the same hammock. But it made sense the more that the young Kratt pondered over it. If anyone needed a goodnight's sleep, it was definitely Aviva; she had almost lost him today and it was reasonable to conclude that his presence by her side should reassure her that he was there, in spite of the close call earlier that day.

"Umm... Okay."he answered with a beaming smile. Without anything more to say, the new couple quietly made their way to Chris' designated resting quarters in the tree he shared with Martin.

"After you."said the young Kratt with a slight bow, earning a giggle from the inventor. _Such a_ _gentleman_..she thought.

Once they settled into the green hammock, Chris could feel blood rushing to his cheeks as he shyly wrapped his right arm on Aviva's shoulder. She didn't seem to mind and simply snuggled closer to him, causing his blush to deepen.

"G'night, Aviva."

"Goodnight." Embraced in each other's arms, it wasn't long before they drifted off to sleep.

... **_(BG Music: Waloyo Yamoni by Christopher Tin *2:30)_**

Morning light slowly rose above the African horizon, chasing away the darkness of night. As the fog lifted, the whooping of zebras could be heard as the striped equines grazed on the dew soaked grasses and raced through the savannah in blurs of black and white, their calls mingling with the morning choruses of the birds singing and warbling in the acacia trees. Elephants bathed in the relative cool of the nearby river as scores of hippos were lumbering down the banks, returning from a good night's grazing. From atop a high termite mound, the local cheetah surveyed the golden grasslands for the morning meal. And in the distance, the mighty bellows of He-Who-Breathes-Fire echoed across the woodlands as he patrolled his pride's territory.

As the sun's morning rays filtered through the Tortuga's sunroof, inside the HQ, Martin yawned loudly as he jumped down from his hammock, stretching his arms to rid them of the sleepy feeling at their tips. The Kratt in blue was just about to check in on his gunshot brother when he noticed something rather shockingly unusual: Chris snoozing peacefully in his hammock, his arms around... Aviva?

After taking a snapshot of the snoozing couple from his Creaturepod, the older Kratt dug through his backpack, its contents littering the floor. "Rubber chicken? Nope. Slingshot? Nope. Boomerang? Nah. Teddy bear? That's not it. Halloween mask? Mm-mm. Ooh, chocolate bar. Ah-hah! Here we are.."

Stirred by the African morning song from outside, Chris' eyes slowly fluttered open, greeted by the sight of Aviva sleeping peacefully in his arms. It was definitely no dream. A blush adorned his features as he recalled the events the night before, as well as the realization of his hand on her waist. But she didn't seem to mind as she mumbled something unintelligible as she continued to doze. _She sure is beautiful when she's sleeping_ , he thought with a smile before closing his eyes once more...

... Before the morning tranquility was shattered by the blaring trumpeting of a cornet being played by a certain Kratt in blue. The loud music had the desired effect of waking the rest of the crew, especially a certain couple who nearly fell out of their respective hammock in their shock, landing on one another. What's more, a very distinctive song was being played. However, Martin's merriment was soon brought to an abrupt end by an old gym sock rammed up the brass instrument by an angry technician.

"Are you out of your mind?!"exclaimed Koki, glaring daggers at Martin who smiled sheepishly. If looks could kill, he would have fallen on the spot.

"The Wedding March? Seriously, bro?" interjected Chris, who was equally unamused by his older brother's antics.

"Who's getting married?"muttered Jimmy Z groggily, rising from his hammock like a zombie crawling out of its coffin.

 ** _**** Half an Hour Later...****_**

Breakfast was being served on the central round table. Martin was seated at Chris' right, who in turn, was next to Aviva while Koki and Jimmy were on the opposite side, all enjoying a fresh meal of bacon and cheese omelette. Even as he wolfed down his chow, the older Kratt's eyes never left a certain couple as they exchanged shy glances. Chris reached out for the roll of napkins only for his hand to make contact with Aviva's, who also had her eyes on the napkins.

"Sorry!"exclaimed the wide eyed pair simultaneously, neither of them releasing their grip.

"No, you're good."said the Kratt in green with a nervous chuckle. "Go ahead. Ladies first."

"No, no. You go, Chris."replied the inventor.

"Oh c'mon, Aviva. I insisted!"he persisted, his face reddening bashfully. This scene drew the attention of the rest of the gang, who tried to conceal the laughter which threatened to bubble from their lips. Once the napkin dilemma was solved, Aviva cast a wink at Chris, who broke contact shyly, hiding a blush that earned a muffled giggle from the former.

"Thanks for breakfast, Jimmy."said Martin, addressing the redheaded pilot.

"No problemo."answered said redhead with his mouth full, laid back comfortably on his chair.

"Boy, I'm stuffed."remarked Koki as her hand muffled a small belch.

Aviva and Chris then shared knowing looks before the latter rose to his feet. It was time to acknowledge the elephant in the room. "Everyone. May I have your attention please?" The rest of the team promptly looked up in Chris' direction, eager to hear what he had to say; to them, he was more than just a member of the team, he was also seen as their leader, the one who's intelligence and levelheadedness kept everyone together. Upon seeing an encouraging nod from Aviva, the young Kratt cleared his throat before he spoke loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Aviva and I have been talking last night. What I did yesterday was stupid to say the least; I was really determined to save He-Who-Breathes-Fire's cubs, even at the cost of my own life. I wasn't thinking straight, and I decided– I decided that I didn't care about my life–"

Upon hearing this confession, the trio gasped in shock and horror.

"You _what?!"_ exclaimed JZ, nearly falling out of his seat.

Aviva momentarily looked away, remembering Chris' angry outburst the night before.

"Don't you _dare_ say that you don't care about your life, bro!"thundered Martin, who was on the verge of tears as he now stood before his younger brother, anger mixed with sadness. "If anything happened to you, I don't know what I'd do! I–I'd never forgive myself." Besides Aviva, Martin had been the most worried out of the team; he had been the first to attack and apprehend the poachers in lion form, and had Koki and Jimmy let the Kratt in blue have his way, he would have exacted his revenge on the cold hearted ruffians who had nearly ended Chris' life. It wasn't until Chris had regained consciousness that Martin's uncharacteristic rage and sadness left him.

The gunshot Kratt heaved a sigh. "I know. I failed to realize that there were also others who really cared about me, my friends. My _family_ , and– I nearly broke their hearts. What I did was reckless and irresponsible on my part. So I say that I'm done being a creature martyr." Taking a deep breath, he finished in a voice barely above a whisper, thick with emotion: "I– I'm sorry."

For the longest time, no one spoke.

"Not cool, dude."said Jimmy, his arms crossed, a dark look on his usually passive features. "You scared the cuss out of us. But I forgive you. I'm just too lazy to hold a grudge."

Without warning, the technician came and thwacked the back of Chris' head. "Oww! What was that for?"he asked, clutching his cranium.

"That was for scaring the bejiddles outta me, ya crazy nut-job."answered the technician, staring hard with her piercing brown eyes. She then added with a smile, "But I forgive you too."

"Don't ever do that again bro," said the Kratt in blue rather seriously, crossing his arms. But then his smile returned as he added with a wink,"at least not without me."

"Is there something else you two wanna tell us?"asked Koki, arms folded, unable to contain her ever growing smirk as she observed how close Chris and Aviva were clinging to each other. More so than usual. Hands intertwining.

"Yeah. Are you two like a thing?"added JZ, his expression almost mirroring Koki's. The older Kratt simply stood there, a smug grin adorning his features. "Here it comes, here it comes, here it comes!"he canted half to himself. The pair blushed furiously, exchanging glances.

"Oh alright. Me and Chris are officially together." Aviva had hardly finished when– "I knew it!" the Kratt in blue cheered triumphantly, practically jumping into the air.

" _Chris and Aviva, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N_ -OWW!" Martin's teasing came to an end upon receiving an elbow to the ribs from a not so amused Chris.

"Aww..."said the computer whizz with puppy eyes.

"Well it's about time."stated the redhead nonchalantly, his right thumb up in approval.

"Congratulations, guys! We're so happy for y'all!"cheered Koki before, without warning, she grabbed Chris by his shirt collar, making close eye contact with the creature adventurer. "But let me start you off with a word of warning: that's my bestie you're dating. So let me tell you something, Chris Kratt, if you do _anything_ to break Aviva's heart, I will bury you ten feet under, and not even creature powers will save you. Capiche?"

"Don't worry, Koki."he answered earnestly, throwing up his hands innocently. "I would never hurt Aviva. That's a promise." This seemed to reassure the technician who released her hold.

"If you two lovebirds are done making googly eyes, I'm gonna go visit He-Who-Breathes-Fire's pride."declared the Kratt in blue. "Maybe even have a few sparring lessons. I've been practicing." To emphasise his point, Martin struck a ridiculous Kung fu pose, making outlandish karate noises while striking fists and chops in thin air before tripping himself while performing a roundhouse kick. Needless to say, this caused the rest of the team to roar in laughter as the creature adventurer picked himself up off the floor.

"See ya!" No more was said as the Kratt in blue raced out of the Tortuga, eager for the adventure ahead.

"Wait up, bro!" But Chris didn't go very far when the inventor's hand fell upon his wounded shoulder.

"Hold it! I gotta check that shoulder first."

"Hehe, oops. Guess I forgot."he replied sheepishly as Aviva rolled her eyes in amusement. "I just need to get the first aid kit real quick." With that, she darted over her quarters, rummaging through the cabinets and drawers until she found what she was looking for.

"Okay, Dr. Corcovado. I'm ready."called Chris humorously. The inventor turned around to come face to face with the young Kratt, whose upper torso was unclad, revealing his lean yet well muscled physique. _El_ _es muy apuesto_ , Aviva thought as she stood there frozen until she found herself staring. She promptly looked away blushing.

"You okay, Aviva?"asked Chris, raising an eyebrow, for she was looking at him as though he had a shark head. "Hmm? ¿Yo? ¡Estoy bien!"replied Aviva quickly with a shy giggle. Part of Chris wasn't too convinced; Aviva wasn't exactly a good liar, but he dropped the subject, sitting patiently as he allowed the inventor to treat his shoulder, removing the old bandages, dabbing disinfectant to the injury and adding a new, biodegradable bandage intended to speed up recovery.

"Thanks Aviva."he said once all was said and done, once more donned in his usual green attire.

"Oh, you're welcome Chris."she answered, almost as if it wasn't a big deal.

"No really." Here the Kratt in green gazed at her with a loving look that caused butterflies to flutter in her stomach. " _Thank you_ for saving my life. I am truly in your debt."

Aviva answered not with words, but with a warm embrace, surprising Chris before he promptly returned the affection.

"We'll be back later, Aviva." Aviva smiled as she nodded before planting a short kiss on the corner of his mouth. Needless to say, the Kratt in green's cheeks flushed bright red before he summoned up enough courage to lean in, placing a gentle peck on Aviva's forehead.

"And I'll be here waiting." No more was said as an all too familiar voice yelled from the distance.

" _Go get a room!_ "

 ** _**** If it's not already obvious, this particular chapter takes place right after dragonrider1234's A Life To Care For (just my own interpretation of what happened afterward..). And the background music Waloyo Yamoni was chosen because (2:30 at least) it felt perfect for an African morning, that and Africa is just one of those places that will always have a special place in my heart.._**


	7. The Blue Lagoon

The sky was painted a vibrant red as the equatorial sun slowly sank below the horizon, causing the peaceful ocean to shimmer in the fading light. The choruses of the ever present seagulls mingled with the constant drums of the waves crashing against the white, sandy shore while a pod of dolphins leaped and played among the surf. Further ashore on the tropical, uninhabited island, terrestrial hermit crabs combed along the beach, foraging for any new shells or scavenging whatever the sea spat out, ignoring the giant turtlelike vessel that was stationed nearby, the tranquil waters gently caressing its massive legs as it laid motionless as the setting sun reflected off the turquoise carapace.

Not far from the turtle ship, Jimmy and Koki were making preparations for the bonfire, the technician arranging the firewood while the redheaded pilot was busy gathering the snacks from his secret compartment.

"Hey, Jimmy."said the computer whizz, looking proudly upon her handiwork. The blocks of firewood were carefully arranged to look like the signature Wild Kratts paw print insignia. "How's it look?"

"Sweet. Not too shabby,"he answered, smiling as he gave two thumbs up.

"Thanks. Say, can you pass me those matches and that lighter fluid?"she asked, pointing to said items sitting in the sand next to the Tortuga pilot.

"Sure thing, Koki,"

But no sooner had JZ reached out for the matches and lighter fluid when a figure erupted out of the sand, revealing a humanoid sand monster! The creature stood fully erect, long arms waving wildly, shrieking at the top of its lungs, causing the Tortuga pilot to scream in terror as he tried to run. But in his flight, Jimmy tripped over one of the nearby logs which consequently sent him crashing right into Koki.

From his place within the mound of sand, a certain Kratt in blue was laughing to his heart's content, grains of sand falling from his body as he clutched his gut. Martin continued to merrily sob with laughter, completely deaf to a yell of pain as Jimmy emerged from behind the log with an angry hermit crab clinging to his nose. Koki rose to her feet, muttering curses as she dusted herself and shook off any loose sand from her afro.

"Ah-how!"whimpered the pizza-eating pilot, trying to pry the shelled crustacean's vice-like grip off his nose. By that time, the Kratt in blue decided that he had had his fun and raced off to assist his friend. After a half minute's struggle, the two finally managed to free Jimmy from the crab's claw.

"Sorry, little guy."he said apologetically to the hermit crab that now sat in the palm of his hand. With that, Martin gently put the crustacean down upon the sand where he continued his foraging elsewhere.

"Martin! Quit seahorsing around!"scolded the Tortuga technician. "We're in the middle of preparing the bonfire for tonight."

"Aww, lighten up, Koki. I was just having a little fun,"replied the blue prankster merrily. Koki was not amused. Martin may have been the oldest one on the team, but that didn't mean he was the most mature.

"Since when did scaring the barnacles off of me qualify as something fun?"asked JZ dryly as he rubbed his sore nose.

The Kratt in blue shrugged. "Well, Chris isn't around. Who else was I supposed to prank?"

"Oh sure. It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye."replied the pilot.

"Then it's pirate games!"Martin exclaimed before doing his best buccaneer impression. " _Argh!_ Ahoy there, mateys!" He then preceded by waving a stick around as though it was a sword.

"Since you got nothing better to do, why don't you come help with the preparations?" suggested the computer whizz, her voice a little gentler. "I'd ask Aviva, but she's not here either. That and she hasn't been answering her Creaturepod,"

After looking around the campsite, Jimmy Z then voiced the question on everyone's mind as he helped himself to a bag of marshmallows. "Speaking of which, where _are_ Chris and Aviva?"

 ** _****Elsewhere...****_**

Several miles away from the bonfire preparations, two figures were seated side by side on a low bending palm tree, watching the sun slowly set below the horizon, the tide's slow and steady push and pull gently caressing their feet. Peaceful silence reigned as Aviva rested her head upon Chris' right shoulder as she looked out to sea, marveling over the

radiance of the sun, even as it was retiring for the day; the way it caused the calm, tranquil waters to shimmer and shine in its reflection; and the way it turned a clear blue sky into a vibrant masterpiece. The sun never failed to captivate her imagination, and every time it reminded the inventor of how small and insignificant she and everything else on the earth was in the grand scheme of life. Not even all the knowledge in the world could dull that perception.

At her side, the Kratt in green was also admiring the fading sun's natural beauty. He too, was always fascinated by the wonders of the natural world, watching the sun rise and set was no exception; it had been a favorite pastime since he was a boy. Oftentimes, Chris would steal a couple of glances in his girlfriend's direction when he thought she wasn't looking, marveling over how much more beautiful she looked in the diminishing light, wearing her summer attire, a flowery wreath over her head, her chocolate brown hair flowing freely over her shoulders, unrestrained by the usual ponytail. Overall, the creature adventurer was happy to have someone else who shared the same passion for nature other than Martin.

Aviva, however, was fully aware of the young Kratt's glances, so it wasn't long before a mischievous smile crept into her features. Chris casually took another look only for his brown eyes to be in direct contact with her stormy gray ones, which now looked brown in the sunlight.

Knowing that he had been found out, he began to look away shyly, blushing, earning a giggle from the inventor. But he didn't go far when he felt her hand gently cup his cheek before she pulled him into a quick kiss. For a brief moment he hesitated, eyes wide open, but then boldness took over and he returned the kiss with a little more passion, wrapping his arms around her. Once they parted for much needed air, the pair touched foreheads, both gazing into each other's eyes. No words were exchanged, nor were they needed; their eyes alone spoke of their feelings.

So the pair continued to gaze upon the radiant sky, neither saying a word, both absentmindedly touching hands. As he took a deep breath of the tropical breeze, Chris took a moment to reflect on all that had occurred that day.

 ** _**** Earlier...****_**

 ** _(BG Music: Blue Planet Seasonal Seas by George Fenton)_**

The morning was bright and clear without a single cloud in the sky and the ocean was as smooth and as clear as glass. Stationed on the placid waters, just offshore of a small, uncharted island, the terrapin shape of the Tortuga HQ laid motionlessly as though it was resting on a plane to glass, rippled occasionally by the gentle breeze or some surfacing marine creature.

From her place leaning against the railing of the balcony, Aviva was admiring the serenity of the azure waters, and took a deep breath of the salty ocean breeze. Apart from the choruses of the seabirds and the ocean's low hum, tranquil silence reigned over the lagoon of Maldives.

 ** _*record scratch*_**

"Yeah!"

"Wahoo!"

 ** _(BG Music: Into Yesterday by Sugar Ray)_**

Or so she thought. The inventor's peaceful trance was broken when two flashes, one blue and the other green, jumped down from the turtle ship's upper carapace before dropping into the water with a tremendous _SPLASH!_ Despite her first impulse to duck and shield herself from the blast, the impact was enough to drench Aviva in a downpour of seawater, causing her to laugh in good cheer as she peered down below upon the two culprits. Looking overboard, she saw none other than Martin and Chris, both wearing their wet suits and masks.

"Hey Aviva!"greeted the two creature adventurers cheerfully as they waved up at the Tortuga inventor.

"Well buenas días to you too!"called said inventor, glancing down. She then asked curiously: "Where are you two heading off to this time?"

"Oh! We're heading over to Hanifaru Bay to see some Manta rays," Chris answered.

"And or maybe take a cruise around the reef."added Martin.

"What do you say, Aviva?"asked the Kratt in green with a beaming smile. "Wanna come with?"

For a while Aviva seemed to ponder it over before racing back inside the HQ.

"I'll take that as a no."murmured Chris in slight disappointment.

"Well, looks like it's just you and me–" but the older Kratt had hardly finished when–

" _¡Bala de cañón!_ "

A flash of violet purple flew from over the balcony, landing right next to the unsuspecting Kratt Brothers in a tremendous _SPLASH!_ As Martin and Chris recovered from that unexpected tidal ball, shaking their heads dry, Aviva promptly surfaced, donned in her own mask and wetsuit. Needless to say, both creature adventurers burst into laughter at the stunt.

"Awesome! Good one, Aviva!"praised the bros simultaneously, thumbs up in approval.

 ** _**** Half an Hour Later...****_**

The trio glided across the sea, courtesy of their streamlined Manta Riders teleported by Jimmy Z back in the HQ. Along the way, they cruised in and around the labyrinths of coral reef systems, encountering the menagerie of various colorful reef fish and other creatures that called the unique aquatic habitat home; schools of Moorish idols, Blue surgeonfish, butterfly fish, blue Hippo tangs were just a few of the reef's countless residents. They had even caught glimpses of a Yellowmargin moray eel peering outside its lair for potential meals; a family of tiny clownfish darting in and out of their home within the stinging tentacles of the sea anemones; the beautiful but deadly lionfish whose tall dorsal spines made him resemble greatly the mane of his land dwelling namesake; various species of rays, several docile Nurse, Gray and Whitetip reef sharks that patrolled above the labyrinths of coral like great birds of prey searching for any sick or wounded fish; and a large Green sea turtle lazily cruising along reef, using its large, paddle-like flippers to effortlessly fly through the water.

This was a completely different experience for Aviva; it wasn't like seeing such natural spectacles from the relative comfort of the Tortuga HQ or from within the Amphi-Sub. She was in the creatures' world, seeing through their eyes, abiding by their rules. Maybe this is why the Kratt bros enjoy this so much, she concluded. How often does an outsider get to come to remote and wild places to see what few people get the chance to see?

"Magnifico,"she said, marveling at all the aquatic sights and wonders as they passed along the reef.

"It never gets old, does it?"replied Chris, zooming in on her right side.

"Nope."chimed his brother from the left. The two them exchanged knowing glances.

"Say Chris. You up for a race?"asked Martin with a smug grin on his face.

"Oh yeah! Any day. Any time."challenged the younger Kratt with a matching smirk.

"Hold on there, Kratt Bros. I just had these Manta Riders upgraded, so try not to destro–" but before Aviva could continue, Martin suddenly took off at full speed, leaving a trail of bubbles in his wake.

"Last one there's a mummified parasite!"he yelled excitedly.

"Hey!"cried Chris before he followed "Oh no you don't!"

"Guys! Get back here!" Try as Aviva might, the racing creature adventurers were already out of earshot, laughing and whooping as they tried to outswim one another. The exasperated inventor heaved a sigh. "Oh brothers," Options limited, the inventor sped off after them.

After the arduous task of dodging and evading several coral barriers and rocky undersea outcrops, Aviva managed to catch up to the racing Manta Riders who showed no signs of slowing down.

Chris smiled upon seeing the inventor coming up along his side. "It looks like Player Number Three has entered the race!"

"Well I happen to be an Ace Manta Rider, so see y'all at the finish line!"boasted Martin.

"Not if I get there first!"countered the green rider overconfidently.

 _So that's how those two wanna play it_ , she thought with a smirk as her competitive nature, which had bubbled up from the wild chase, was slowly built up.

"Famous last words."said the inventor in a singsong voice before taking off. "Catch me if you can!"

For the rest of the journey, the three raced through the coral maze, weaving in and out of many curious rock formations, caverns, and scattering shoals of fish along the way.

"Sorry!"hollered the Kratt in blue as he unintentionally startled a huge school of streamlined barracudas, earning a slap from the tail of one of them. "Oww! I said I was sorr–" Martin never got finish that sentence as he came face-to-face with a set of formidable jaws. He gulped, eyes widened in dread.

Meanwhile, Aviva was now toe-to-toe with Chris as they now reached more open water where the Manta Riders were free to jet at top speed, unhindered by any corals. The two competitors exchanged taunts as they raced on, cheering as they were occasionally leaping straight out of the water or making twirls and loop de loops beneath the surface, leaving two intertwining trails of bubbles in their wake.

Before too long, their destination was straight ahead; a wide, shallow sandbar surrounded by a semi ovular reef with a small, vegetated sand cay nearby in the western corner.

"Hey, Chris! Are you hungry?"she asked almost innocently.

Chris raised an eyebrow. "Hungry? Why?"

"'Cause you're about to eat my bubbles!" Without further warning, Aviva hit maximum overdrive, flooring her Rider at such breakneck speed that would make even a sailfish jealous. The stunned Kratt was left behind with a beard full of bubbles.

"Woo-hoo!"she cheered upon surfacing. "There's a new Manta Rider racing champion in the sea, and she is one hundred percent pure Aviva!" It wasn't long before the Kratt in green caught up.

"No fair. You went turbo!"protested Chris in mock severity. Aviva simply smirked.

"All's fair in love and war, Cariño, "whispered the inventor as she removed her mask, planting a kiss on the green diver's cheek, earning a blush and a goofy smile from the latter.

 _Can't argue with that_ , he thought blissfully until he realized that something was missing. Chris once again submerged, followed promptly by Aviva.

"Hey. Where's Martin?"he asked.

" _Aghhh!_ " In that moment, the older Kratt zoomed right into their view, maneuvering his Manta Rider wildly in different directions. Not far behind him were the snapping jaws of an angry barracuda itching to take a bite of him. The chaotic scene played out for several moments until the torpedo-shaped fish managed to catch up to the source of its disturbance, sinking its razor sharp teeth into Martin's rear end.

" _OWWWWWW!_ "

The spectating couple visibly winced.

"Oooh."said Chris with a shudder.

"Ay, that's gotta hurt."mumbled Aviva.

"You okay, bro?"asked Chris as he swam up to Martin.

"I'm alright, though I don't think I'll be able to sit for a week,"replied the fish-bitten Kratt, rubbing his sore spot. Chris could be heard chuckling at his brother's misfortune.

Martin was not amused. "It's not funny, Chris."

In that instant, the younger Kratt could hold it no more, and burst into hysterical laughter, clutching his stomach to ease the pain.

"Guess that makes you the butt of that joke!" Chris joked, earning a deadpan stare from his brother and an amused eye roll from the inventor. As his obnoxious sibling laughed on, Martin grabbed a certain disk and sample from his countless pockets, casting Chris a devilish smirk.

"Chris?"

The younger Kratt recovered from his laughing fit, only to see Martin looming over him in his Giant Squid Power Suit, a vengeful grin playing across his face. He gulped in dread.

" _Run_."

Aviva was busy admiring the football field-sized bay when two flashes of green and blue whizzed right past her in a cloud of bubbles.

"I'msorryl'msorryl'msorry!"chanted Chris on his Manta Rider, frantically trying to dodge Martin's elongated arms and tentacles.

"Just wait till I get my tentacles on you!"boasted the blue cephalopod, hot on his brother's tail.

Forgetting her surroundings altogether, the inventor watched this comical scene unfold with an ever growing grin. _Jimmy's right_ , she thought, giggling at the brothers' antics. _These two could definitely be comedians_.

The blue 'Krattken' finally managed to capture his quarry, shaking his unfortunate brother about with his ten gelatinous arms. Chris grunted and yelled while struggling in vain to break free. He managed to pull away one set of suction cups only for another two to glue themselves to his mask.

"Resistance is futile!"Martin playfully taunted in his extraterrestrial voice as he held Chris in a headlock while the latter struggled and gagged in the blue squid's grasp, almost as though he was being strangled. This proved too much for Aviva who clutched her stomach in hard, uncontrollable laughter, mirthful tears falling from her eyes. However, the inventor's laughter at other people's expense was soon interrupted as a great shadow draped itself overhead, getting bigger and bigger. A gasp escaped her lips as she glanced upwards.

"Guys!"she called out to the still quarreling Kratt Brothers, trying to get their attention. "Look at this!"

The two creature adventurers abruptly halted their activities altogether and glanced in the direction Aviva motioned. Once they had, their eyes grew as wide as saucers. The Krattken then untangled each of his tentacles off of Chris whose eyes never left their position as he absentmindedly pushed the deactivation button of his brother's CPS, returning him to his human form.

"Whoah! A Manta ray!"exclaimed the pair in unison.

The giant Manta paid the humans no mind as it soared above them, exposing its white underbelly. For all its size, the ray moved with an elegant grace, slowly flapping its winglike pectoral fins, giving it the appearance of an underwater jet plane. It appeared to be almost weightless in its element.

"Look at the way he flaps those giant wings!"remarked the Kratt in blue as they all observed the huge Manta moving in a flying motion through the ocean.

"Up to a twenty two foot wingspan,"said Chris."it's like he's flying underwater."

"Magnifico," murmured Aviva, eyes never leaving the oceangoing giant.

The trio were soon in for a surprise.

"And here come some more!"heralded the Kratt in green, pointing to the edge of the bay. "Come one, come all!"

Out of the blue depths, even more Mantas gracefully glided into the shallower waters in vast numbers, swooping into the bay like giant bats. In just a matter of minutes, the small, enclosed underwater bay was crowed with hundreds of the cartilaginous fish.

"Wow."whispered the inventor, awestruck by the sight of the great multitudes. "So many."

"Yeah. Up to two hundred or more gather here every year,"replied the Kratt in blue.

"The largest gathering of Manta rays in the world!"yelled Chris with excitement, arms spread out skywards as more and more of the oceanic titans gathered.

"No way!"interjected Aviva in stunned disbelief before asking: "What are so many manta rays doing in such a small area?"

"Some of them have come to see the local cleaning stations for a checkup." As Martin pointed to a grove of corals along the slope, they noticed several rays slowly hovering around, allowing minuscule cleaner fish to consume any dead skin or parasites on their inky black hides, even swimming in between the giant gill slits.

"Others are here for–" Before Chris could go on, a green film drifted into the midst of the rays along the current, causing them to swim more rapidly, oftentimes performing spectacular hydrodynamic maneuvers, barrel rolls, and loop de loops like jets in an aerial dogfight. Others were gliding along the surface, exposing their backs to the tropical sun as powerful thrashes of their wing-like pectoral fins propelled them through the water, their heads tilted slightly upward, enormous mouths wide open.

"Wait. Is that–"

Before Aviva could finish, the Kratt in blue excitedly answered: "Planktonic soup! Manta rays are filter feeders. They're here to take advantage of this all-you-can-eat plankton buffet."

Chris then took over. "See, at this time of year, during the monsoon season, seasonally reversing monsoon currents are driven by monsoon winds, and bring clear oceanic water to the upstream sides of the atolls, or islands."

"As the currents pass over the Maldives ridge, nutrient-rich waters are lifted to the surface, promoting blooms of phytoplankton."added Martin.

"This supports an abundance of zooplankton, which in turn attracts the manta rays to these feeding grounds. Watch out!"

The trio had just enough time to duck as one Manta glided right over their heads, heading straight towards the swarm of plankton that seemed to be multiplying by the minute. The others soon followed in full force until they all looped around to form a living, spinning column of black wings and open mouths. Gone were the graceful underwater dances of before, replaced by chaotic, frenzied spirals.

In the midst of the commotion, Martin, Chris and Aviva had to duck, dodge and dive out of the way of the frenzied cartilaginous jets.

"What's going on?"asked a bewildered inventor, evading another dive bomb from above. "All the Mantas are spinning around like crazy!"

"I don't believe it! It's a cyclone feeding frenzy!"cried the Kratt in green, excitement coursing through his veins.

"Cyclone feeding?"

"When food is plentiful, the Mantas will form a huge, spiraling column. Oof!"Chris had hardly finished when a ray blindly torpedoed from behind, ramming into the unsuspecting Kratt.

Martin then took over. "The column of mantas literally acts like a cyclone, spinning around and around in tight formation. The Mantas create their own current as a vortex forms in the eye of the cyclone and the filtered water moves up towards the surface. Y'oww!" As the Kratt in blue received a wing slap to the face, a newly recovered Chris went on.

"The spinning causes plankton positioned on the outside of the cyclone get pulled closer until they're literally sucked down their gaping mouths. Whoah!" concluded Chris, this time lucky enough to evade yet another frenzied onslaught.

"I get it."said Aviva in newfound understanding. "It's kind of like when you're stirring up the sugar in a cup of coffee with a spoon."

"Exactly."

The cycling Manta rays were not the only creatures to benefit from the planktonic feast; shoals of colorful coral reef fish from far and near have also joined in the frenzied throng. Soon, larger visitors from the open ocean arrived on the scene. The newcomers were massive, about the length of a bus and marked with white spots and stripes along their tan hides, and on their broad, ridged backs that had the distinctive dorsal fins of their family. The two creature adventurers immediately classified them as– "Whale sharks!"

"Sharks?! Giant sharks?!"cried Aviva a bit worriedly. Chris, however, was quick to reassure her.

"Don't worry, Aviva. They're harmless."

"Yeah, despite being the world's largest fish at over forty feet long, whale sharks are filter feeders too, one of only three kinds of sharks that do so, the others being the megamouth and the Basking shark." As if to prove Martin's point, one of the bus-sized leviathans opened its cavernous, seemingly toothless jaws wide as it swam, engulfing a plume of plankton down its gullet.

"Whoah! That was jawsome!"exclaimed the Kratt in blue before gasping in sudden realization. "And that's just what I'm gonna call that guy: Jawsome!"

"Now that's an impressive mouth!"remarked the inventor, awed by the sheer size of the Whale shark's jaws.

"Almost five feet wide!"confirmed Chris, stretching his arms out wide for emphasis. Peering closely, Aviva noticed something rather unusual.

"But where are his teeth? Don't sharks all have razor sharp teeth?"

"Whale sharks don't really need teeth."answered Chris. "The teeth are there, but they're vestigial teeth. They play no role in feeding, and that occurs either by ram filtration, where the shark opens its mouth and swims forward, pushing water and food into the mouth, or by active suction feeding, in which it opens and closes its mouth, sucking in volumes of water that are then expelled through the gills. Like that one right over there," the younger Kratt pointed to an individual Whale shark that opened and closed its mouth to collect both water and food while expelling the former out through the five gill slits on either side.

"Like the Manta rays, the Whale sharks come to Hanifaru Bay year after year to enjoy this all-you-can-eat plankton buffet."

For what seemed like an eternity, the trio continued to watch and marvel at all the activities happening above their heads, from the dozens of Whale sharks gliding through the shoals of plankton, cavernous mouths agape, to the multitudes of Manta rays who carried out their spiraling aquatic dance beneath the waves.

"Isn't it just beautiful?"asked Chris, heaving a blissful sigh as they all rested on the seabed, watching the sharks and rays fly above them like clouds over a shimmering blue sky.

Martin sighed in answer. "I could watch this all day."

From her place beside the Kratt in green, the inventor gazed upon a large school of fish that mingled with the oceangoing leviathans, their scales glistening in the sunlight, reminding her of the stars at night. _Stars_ , she thought before suddenly jerking up, remembering something. "Umm guys? Aren't we forgetting something?"

The bros thought for a moment until both came to a sudden realization. "The bonfire!"they shouted in unison.

"Time sure does fly when you're creature adventuring."Martin remarked, mounting his Manta Rider. The couple did likewise.

"Let's go!"exclaimed Chris.

Leaving that magical, otherworldly place behind them, the three retraced their steps back to the Tortuga through the coral labyrinth. Halfway through, they were joined by a traveling school of Bottlenose dolphins, two of which, a male and a female, were frolicking and playing among the tunnels. Taking a closer look, Martin immediately recognized the two individuals.

"It's Whistle and Click!"

In that moment, the two cetaceans swam circles around the trio, whistling and clicking in an excited manner. Martin, Chris and Aviva laughed at their antics.

"Good to see you guys too!"said the older Kratt, stroking Whistle's rubbery skin while Chris and Aviva did the same with Click.

"So, who's up for another race around the reef?"asked Martin, looking for a way to have some fun. The two dolphins nodded eagerly, voicing their agreement as they playfully nudged the Kratt in blue.

"Okay, okay. You guys can play too!"cried Martin in between laughs before he nudged his younger brother. "What about you, Chris? Ready to sink or swim?"

"Oho, you're on, bro!" Chris challenged."You up for a rematch, Aviva?"

The inventor gave the matter a little thought. "Y'know what? I'm game." She then whispered slyly to Chris: "Especially if I get to beat you again."

"We'll see about that!"her boyfriend remarked confidently.

"To make things a little more interesting..." At this point, the Kratt in blue beamed a smug grin as he slipped a disk into his CPS before reaching out to touch Whistle. "Activate Dolphin Powers!" A radiant flash of blue light enveloped Martin until it cleared, revealing the streamlined shape of an azure dolphin.

"Two can play at that game!"hollered Chris as he touched Click, also transforming himself into one of the iconic marine mammals, the only difference being his green coloring.

"The first one to get back to the Tortuga wins."declared the Bottlenose Martin, positioning himself to a standstill just above the sand. The other three cetaceans and Aviva did likewise, the latter on her Manta Rider. For a brief moment, Chris and Aviva exchanged looks, determination blazing in both of their eyes.

"On your mark. Get set. _Go!_ "

With that acclamation, they were off! Like a blue torpedo, Martin zoomed along the water, propelled by his tail flukes. On either side of the older Kratt, the two dolphins kept a moderate speed, keeping up with the blue cetacean.

"Streamlined bodies, smooth skin, and powerful tails that can generate enough power to cut through the water at 20 miles per hour, you dolphins are like living torpedoes!"he remarked. His escorts trilled in response, as if taking Martin's comment to heart.

Meanwhile, Chris and Aviva raced as fast as their labyrinthine racetrack would allow them. The pair had taken an alternate route away from the racing dolphins; as far as they were concerned, this was just between the two of them. The Manta rider and the green dolphin were evenly matched in speed and maneuverability, diving and weaving in and around the rocky outcrops, occasionally leaping out of the water and passing shoals of reef fish. Reaching more open water, the pair made twirls and loop de loops beneath the surface, leaving two intertwining trails of bubbles in their wake.

Bottlenose Chris had only just taken the lead ahead of the inventor when _CRASH!_ He collided into an indistinguishable object like a bug on a windshield. The CPS deactivated upon impact.

"Oooh, that's gotta hurt,"mumbled Aviva from as he came to a standstill, cringing at her clumsy boyfriend's ordeal.

"Oww."he groaned, his voice muffled against the huge mass. "Who put that wall there?"

Aviva swam up to the downed creature adventurer. "Chris? Are you alright?"she asked worriedly.

After detaching himself from the unidentified swimming object that mysteriously materialized out of the depths, the Kratt in green shook his head to ease the throbbing and dizziness within. Upon regaining his senses, he felt around the mysterious wall, which had a smooth, rubbery texture. Suddenly a deep, rumbling arose from within the rubbery wall. His eyes widened in sudden realization as he looked over at both ends, the back end sporting a colossal tail; this was no wall, but a marine creature, and it was absolutely enormous.

The inventor noticed too, and her eyes widened as she began to slowly back away, an awed gasp escaping her lips.

"Ay Dios mio..."

Chris was at her side seconds later, eyes wide as saucers, no less amazed. "Holy sea cow..."he murmured, mouth agape.

"A Blue whale!"

 ** _**** This has gotta be the longest chapter I've written so far, and it's only part one. But due to some of my other stories, it may be a while before part two comes up. I've always been fascinated by the ocean, maybe because we know more about the surface of the moon, and also the myriads of weird and wonderful creatures who live there, so I just had to write a chapter on it._**

 ** _Hanifaru Bay is located in the islands of Maldives, which is just southwest off the coast of India, and its famous for the Manta ray gatherings that happen annually. It's also another one of the places I'd like to visit before I die. But Maldives isn't known for just its Mantas; there's definitely more still to come.. ;)_**


	8. Ocean Titans

_**(BG Music: Ocean Bloom by Radiohead and Hans Zimmer)**_

"A Blue whale!"

For the longest time since that exclamation was made, Chris and Aviva were left speechless as they were face to face with the ocean going giant who was only dwarfed by the expanse of the deep blue.

"Wow. Que enorme,"remarked a wide eyed Aviva, marveling over the whale's immensity. Even the elephants on the land had nothing on this creature's sheer size which was unlike anything else they had before encountered. Slowly, and quite gracefully for an animal of its magnitude, the great leviathan rose to the surface, releasing a vertical column spout of used oxygen and vapor over thirty feet in the air. After taking in a breath of fresh, salty air through its blowhole, the whale dove back beneath the waves, cutting through the water as smoothly as a hot knife through butter, all without making a ripple or a splash.

Needless to say, the inventor had never felt so small in all her life.

Chris squeaked in response before he cleared his throat, regaining his composure. "You're–you're looking at the largest animal ever to exist on Planet Earth. Balaenoptera musculus, a.k.a the Blue whale!"

"Really?" The creature adventurer nodded.

"A hundred feet long and well over 200 hundred tons in weight. Far bigger than even the biggest dinosaurs."

"No way!"she snorted in disbelief.

"I'm not kidding! I'll prove it to you too!"

That being said, the green diver swam up to the whale's side, Creaturepod in hand. The inventor followed not long after, albeit more cautiously.

 _Wow. This whale's even bigger up close_ , she thought. Even the rorqual's relatively small front flippers were more than twice as long as her boyfriend was tall, and the rubbery tail flukes were easily the same width as a small aircraft's wings. Impressive though the Blue whale was, Aviva peered into the tiny eyes of the giant, which revealed a gentle soul. The whale in question didn't seem to be bothered by the rather minuscule creatures in its watery domain, and thus, gave no objections to being scanned by their gadgets which emitted green and violet beams.

"Wow!/¡Increible!"exclaimed the pair in unison once the results came in.

"This one's a female at over 110 feet from nose to tail, and as heavy as forty African elephants!"began Chris having taken measurements from his Creaturepod.

Aviva took her scans a little further. "Look at this! Her internal structure is incredible! A tongue as heavy as an elephant; a heart around four hundred pounds and the size of a piano; and a lung capacity of about 1,300 gallons of air! How does an animal get this big?"

"To answer that question, you'll need to go back to the whale's ancestry about 50 million years ago in the Eocene period."answered Chris dramatically as he pulled up a holographic timeline from his Creaturepod. "Dinosaurs had already disappeared 15 million years earlier.

"See, whales weren't always big; they evolved from a four-legged wolf-like ancestor called Pakicetus who may have foraged along rivers and streams for fish. Over time, the descendants of Pakicetus became more adapted to living life in water. Fast forward by another 15 million years, and you have Dorudon, among the first true whales.

"In Dorudon, we see the beginnings of what makes whales so special. Its nostrils had moved back from its snout to the top of its head. Its forelimbs had become stiff flippers, its snout was elongated, its hind limbs slowly became virtually non-existent, and its tail had evolved into two rubbery flukes, which propelled the animal forward through the water as they were moved up and down, rather than the side-to-side motion of a fish's tail.

"Then, something extraordinary began to happen: Because these mammals were free floating in the sea, supported by the buoyancy of salt water, whales escaped the limitations of gravity and became bigger and bigger, with the Blue whale out-monstering every other cetacean species."

The inventor was speechless to say the least; it was truly captivating to think that the mighty Blue whale and all other whales, creatures of such titanic proportions, had such humble beginnings. They were truly one of nature's countless masterpieces.

"She's beautiful."said Aviva, slowly reaching out to gently touch the giant's smooth, rubbery skin.

"She sure is," replied the Kratt in green before his eyes shifted over to the inventor in violet. "Almost as beautiful as you." Chris could see that his sweet remark caused her cheeks to flush pink behind her mask.

"You certainly have a way with words, Mr. Creature adventurer."she said with a giggle.

Suddenly a much smaller shape revealed itself from behind the oceanic colossus, swimming into full view of the two divers. The pair immediately recognized it as– "A Blue whale calf!"exclaimed the younger Kratt.

"Awww, that's just about the cutest little animal I've ever seen."cooed the inventor with gray puppy eyes. Chris simply chuckled. Oftentimes the Kratt in green would wonder which was cuter: the baby animal or his girlfriend's reaction to seeing said baby animal. Perhaps sensing that these strange creatures in its blue world were not a threat, the young cetacean slowly but boldly swam up to the pair, and in doing so, revealed its true size, which was well over twenty feet in length.

Aviva's gray eyes widened upon that realization. "Did I say little?"

The Kratt in green chuckled. "Even baby Blues are enormous the moment they're born; about twenty three feet long, and they can weigh over two and a half tons when they're born. As much as a full grown hippopotamus!"

"¡Increible!"

"The biggest babies in the creature world,"here he felt a playful nudge from a certain young whale. "No offense, girl. And since Martin's not here to name you, that's what I'll call you: Baby Blue!"

"Didn't Martin already give that name to a tiger cub?"the inventor pointed out.

Chris opened his mouth to object, then paused. Aviva had a point there. "Oh yeah. Forgot about that."

"How about Pequeña Giganta?"the inventor suggested.

"Pequeña Giganta?"

"Mm-hmm. It means 'Little Giant.'"

Chris seemed to ponder it over, absentmindedly stroking the calf's massive head. "I like it! Pequeña Giganta it is,"

At this point, the young cetacean nudged Aviva, as though she liked her new name. Curiosity satisfied, Pequeña Giganta returned to her mother's side where she nestled her head underneath the giant's flipper and began to suckle.

"Aww! She's feeding from her mom's milk!"cooed Aviva as she observed this heart melting scene as her boyfriend looked on with a smile.

"Blue whale milk is extremely rich, composed of about 40 percent fat and 13 percent protein. A calf can drink over a hundred gallons of milk every day, and they grow quickly, as much as two hundred pounds every 24 hours for her first year."

The moment Pequeña Giganta drank her fill in nourishment, her mother uttered a deep, rumbling bellow that seemed to echo across the ocean depths. The haunting sound caused Chris and Aviva's heads and eardrums to ring and shivers to crawl up their spines.

"Talk about being loud!"said Chris, clenching his ears as he recovered from the blast.

"Well, sound does travel faster and farther in the water than it does in the air."stated the scientist before turning her eyes to see the great whale glide along the water, her tiny calf in tow. "Chris, look!"

"She's on the move!"

At first, the Blue cetaceans sank like stones, diving deeper and deeper before they began to swim quickly at such an astonishing pace that it was all Chris and Aviva can do to catch up to them by Manta Rider.

"I don't believe it. How can an animal so big move so fast?"she wondered, flooring the Manta Rider at almost full speed just to stay within neck and neck of the living torpedo that was gliding effortlessly through its natural element.

"Blue whales can reach speeds of over 30 miles per hour, thanks to their sleek and streamlined bodies and powerful tails."answered the creature adventurer, one hand hanging onto the vehicle, the other holding his Creaturepod to film all the action. "They're easily one of the fastest animals in the sea!"

"Where is she going?"

As Chris looked up, something caught his attention as he pointed out: "There's your answer: a swarm of krill."

Aviva peered upwards where her eyes were greeted by a living cloud that stained the seas red. There were easily millions of the centimeter-long shrimplike crustaceans floating close to the shimmering surface, undoubtedly feeding on the abundant microscopic phytoplankton enriched by the sun.

Meanwhile, another pair of eyes was watching the shoal's movement from its place among the dark depths.

"These tiny crustaceans are an important element of the oceanic food chain, and they make up the stable diet of many sea creatures from small fish and seabirds all the way up to Whale sharks, and various marine mammals –"

"Thar she blows!"shouted the inventor as she caught something moving from the corner of her eye.

Rising up from the abyss, the adult Blue whale lunged forward, opening her cavernous mouth wide open the instant the krill were within range.

"Wow!"exclaimed the spectating divers simultaneously, watching the leviathan break the surface as she gulped down an enormous mouthful of reddened water which caused the pleated skin on her throat and belly to expand. The sack of blubber soon deflated as torrents of seawater cascaded out of the whale's mouth through thin, overlapping comblike bristles attached to the upper jaws. Trapped inside the inescapable baleen prison, thousands of krill are left behind—and then swallowed down the giant's gullet.

Soon there were only a handful of survivors who scattered as Pequeña Giganta playfully charged into their midst, earning laughs from the couple.

"That's what I call one whale of a feast!" Chris remarked, having recorded the entire feeding frenzy from his Creaturepod.

"¡Increible! I definitely gotta program a Blue whale Power Disk some time,"she said thoughtfully.

"Really? That would be so _kriller_!"he replied with a wink.

Aviva's hand was on her forehead as she giggled at the awful pun. They then looked high and low for the Blue whales, scanning the sea in all directions before spying them just in time as they swam away, ultimately disappearing into the gloom.

"They're gone."she murmured.

"Oh whale."shrugged Chris, although inwardly he was saddened by the whales' disappearance. "I guess there's always next time,"

"Okay, okay, enough with the whale puns!" Aviva interjected, feigning exasperation. The Kratt in green chuckled.

"All jokes aside, that was an unforgettable experience."

"Mm-hmm,"

A moment of tranquil silence... before a ghostly wail as deep as a hundred tubas seemed to be heard from all around, an eerie yet captivating call that could only be produced by the largest inhabitant in the sea.

"Sirena."mumbled the inventor, her voice hardly more than a whisper.

"What was that, Aviva?"

"That's what the mother's name should be. It means 'siren' or 'mermaid'." As she stated this, the unseen whale continued her melodies.

"Sirena. I like that. I really like that."

Chris and Aviva continued to listen to Sirena's song, both inwardly wishing that they knew what it meant. The call grew fainter and fainter until silence reigned long and long. For the longest time after the notes were ended, not a word was spoken between the pair.

The Kratt in green was brought out of his trance by a hand on his shoulder. "C'mon, Cariño."said Aviva. "Martin will probably be wondering what's taking us so long."

Chris shook his head, returning to reality."Yeah, you're right. He's not gonna let me live it down." He then added with an ecstatic grin,"But wait till we tell everyone at the bonfire! They're gonna be so psyched."

With that, they retraced their steps back to the Tortuga, with one whale of a tale to tell.

 _ ****** Just one more part to go! ;)**_


	9. Dancing with the Stars

The sun had already gone down when Chris and Aviva finally made their way back to the Tortuga HQ to join the others at the bonfire. They were in no particular hurry as they leisurely strolled throughout the forest pathway hand in hand, passing towering coconut palms and other tropical flora. Nearing the stretch of beach where the turtle ship was parked, the pair heard the team long before they saw them; the bell-like chimes of a tambourine mingling with the steady beating of drums and the musical strumming of an acoustic guitar.

"... _happy ever after in the market place_

 _Desmond lets the children lend a hand_

 _Molly stays at home and does her pretty face_

 _And in the evening she's a singer with the band,"_

Stifling the laughter which threatened to bubble from their lips, the Kratt in green and the Wild Kratts inventor immediately recognized the singer to be Martin.

"What song is _that?_ "asked Aviva incredulously, raising an eyebrow at the unfamiliar and whimsical tune.

"Definitely Obladi Oblada by the Beatles."answered Chris with a chuckle. "One of Martin's favorites."

Oblivious to the approaching couple, the older Kratt sang on. " _Ob la di, ob-la-da, life goes on, bra_

 _La-la, how the life goes on_

 _Ob-la di, ob-la-da, life goes on, bra_

 _La-la, how the life goes on,"_

Seated on another log on the guitarist's right side, Koki and Jimmy Z added rhythm to the song, the Tortuga computer whizz shaking and rattling the tambourine while the pilot's hands gently and steadily drummed upon the bongos in his lap.

"Called it."smirked the younger Kratt triumphantly.

"Figures."replied Aviva with an amused eye roll; this song definitely suited the older yet more free spirited of the two creature adventurers. "Though I gotta admit, he's really good with the guitar."

"That's my bro,"he replied with a proud smile.

 _"And if you want some fun, sing ob-la-di, bla-da!_ "

Once the song had concluded, the others dropped their perspective instruments and broke into a round of applause as the blue guitarist took a bow.

"Thank you! You're too kind!"

In that moment, Chris and Aviva decided to step into the firelight to join in the cheering for Martin.

"Way to go, bro!"hollered the younger Kratt as the inventor whooped cheerfully.

"Bravo Martino!"cheered the inventor.

"Chris! Aviva! Glad you guys could finally join us!"called the older Kratt.

"You two sure took your sweet time."the Tortuga pilot remarked as he munched on a bag of potato chips.

"What took y'all so long?"asked Koki wearing a slight smirk, her arms folded. Chris and Aviva only cast knowing glances.

"Oh, you know."replied the young Kratt before he and his girlfriend finished in perfect synchronization, "A stroll along the beach." This caused them to stare at one another in surprise before breaking into laughter. They were already finishing each other's sentences.

"If you say so," replied the computer whizz to the couple with a shrug, deciding not to press the matter further. The two sat on an unoccupied log at Martin's right side where Chris immediately reached for a nearby bag of marshmallows before skewering one over a stick, roasting it over the open fire. "Alright! Marshmallows! Crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside." He then offered some for his girlfriend. "Wanna bite?"

"Muchísimas gracias, Cariño." said the Tortuga inventor sweetly, accepting the ballistic treat as she planted a kiss on Chris' cheek.

"By the way, like the hair, Aviva."complimented the Kratt in blue with a wink. Instead of the usual ponytail, the inventor's curly, chocolate brown hair cascaded freely over her shoulders, adorned with a violet flower behind her right ear.

"That's a good look for you."added JZ with a thumbs up.

"Girl, you should let your hair down more often." Koki remarked.

Aviva flushed red at the compliments as Chris cast her a triumphant smirk. "See? Told ya. You look _beautiful_ ," Her blush deepened.

"Thanks." she chirped.

"Now it's your turn, brother O mine!"hollered Martin with a dramatic guitar strum.

"My turn? For what?"asked the younger Kratt, completely clueless.

"To sing a campfire song, ya big dummy!"reminded the Tortuga technician, rattling her tambourine.

"Yeah!"added JZ, drumming his bongos.

To say that Chris was stumped was a complete understatement; in all the events of the day, he had completely forgotten to have a song planned out. He slapped his forehead, inwardly scolding himself for being unprepared. Right now, he wanted to be buried ten feet under the sand– _wait a minute_... he thought.

Like a tidal wave, it hit him. The sand beneath his feet. The Kratt in green took a moment to close his eyes and draw a deep breath of the cool, tropical night air, taking in his surroundings, not with his eyes, but rather listening with keen ears to the rhythmic droning of the sea gently caressing the sandy beach; and felt the tranquil ocean breeze; and listened intently as it shook the leaves of the towering palm trees that rustled like silent wind chimes. _The earth has music to those who listen._

Once he had finished meditating, Chris cast his brother a beaming smile, having already thought of a song. "Give me a ukulele, bro!"

"Way ahead of you, Chris!"replied Martin with a wink as he pulled out a wooden ukulele from behind his log. "Any requests?" The younger Kratt promptly whispered in his brother's ear. Martin nodded, a wide grin upon his face as he began to strum the desired notes upon the four-stringed instrument.

After receiving an encouraging wink from Aviva, Chris got up from his seat, clearing his throat before he began. _"I see trees of green, red roses too_

 _I see them bloom for me and you,"_ Here the Kratt in green extended a hand to his surprised girlfriend, casting her a look that said, _may I take this dance?_ followed by a wink. Aviva smiled as she answered not with words, but by taking his hand, allowing herself to be lifted onto her feet.

 _"And I think to myself what a wonderful world."_

Suddenly the inventor felt her heart racing, embarrassed at being the center of attention, until Chris beamed an encouraging smile followed by two thumbs up. That was all she needed to summon the courage to sing the next verse. _"I see skies of blue and clouds of white_

 _The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night_

 _And I think to myself what a wonderful world."_

The Kratt in green took over from there. " _The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky_

 _Are also on the faces of creatures going by,"_

The inventor giggled at the intentional change in the lyrics as she spun under his raised hand. Together the duo sang:

 _"I see friends shaking hands saying how do you do_

 _They're really saying I... I love you._

 _"I hear babies crying, I watch them grow_

 _They'll learn much more than I'll never know_

 _And I think to myself what a wonderful world._

 _"Yes I think to myself what a wonderful world."_

As the song concluded, everyone gave a round of applause for the duo who both took an appreciative bow, hand in hand. Before too long, claps turned into shouts and whistles.

"Kiss you two!"hollered Martin mischievously. The older creature adventurer was then joined by Koki and Jimmy who eagerly took up the chorus. "Kiss her! Kiss her! Kiss her!"

Chris and Aviva shrugged, exchanging glances. "Let's give them what they want."the inventor whispered in her boyfriend's ear as she grabbed his face, planting her lips against his. Surprised at first, he soon became relaxed into it as he constricted his arms around her waist, deepening the kiss. Soon, much to the pair's slight disappointment, the need for air forced them to part, but they still touched foreheads. For a moment, they were oblivious to either the Tortuga technician's fangirlish squeals or the mischievous claps and whistles from the guys, their eyes solely focused on each other, stormy gray meeting hazel brown .

As the night dragged on, the team fell into animated discussion, each sharing various stories around the glowing campfire, from folktales and legends from around the world, most of them about animals; to sci-fi stories and thrillers aided by flashlights for dramatic flare, courtesy of Koki and Jimmy Z; Martin, Chris, and Aviva told of their mystical experience at Hanifaru Bay and the great gathering of dancing Manta rays and gigantic Whale sharks. Lastly, the couple recalled their unforgettable encounter with the Blue whales Sirena and Pequeña Giganta.

The rest of the team was amazed to say the very least. "Wow. An animal the length of three school buses? Get outta here!"exclaimed Koki incredulously.

Jimmy Z spat out his coconut milk in disbelief, dropping the makeshift cup. "That's ginormous! Do Blue whales rule the sea, or what?"

"Aww man, I cant believe you guys went whale watching without me!" Martin pouted.

"Don't worry, bro. We'll get another chance." Chris reassured him, wrapping an arm around his brother's shoulder. Just then, the younger Kratt snapped his fingers as an idea popped in his head. "Hey, I've got an idea; our new creature mission tomorrow should be to find the largest and most mysterious animal in the world!"

Martin's optimism returned in a flash. "Now you're speaking my language! Oh I can't wait! Its gonna be one whale of a creature adventure!"

"Especially considering that there are only ten thousand Blue whales left in the world."added Chris.

"And even though we've just had one encounter with them, I'm already feeling inspired to program some Blue Whale Power disks!"

"Alright!"cheered the two creature adventurers simultaneously, practically jumping in the air.

"That I gotta see for myself."said the computer whizz, eager to see if the cetaceans were indeed as large as the couple claimed they were.

"Ummm... guys? What is that?" The team looked to where the redhead pointed, where, to everyone's surprise, the sand and surf seemed to glow a bright neon blue, turning the night-time ocean into a field of glowing stars.

"Whoah..." The entire team abandoned the campfire to investigate this new apparition.

"Is that– unicorn blood?"asked the Tortuga pilot grimly with a gulp.

"What? No!"exclaimed Martin, looking at Jimmy like he had a shark head. Aviva and Koki tried in vain to muffle their laughter, understanding the reference.

Chris simply stared blankly. "Jimmy, you've been reading _way_ too many fantasy novels."he remarked.

"Aren't these bioluminescent phytoplankton?"asked Aviva, mesmerized by the glowing spectacle.

"Not exactly."the Kratt in green replied.

"I've read about these."said Koki, remembering where she had seen this before. "What we're seeing is actually millions of microscopic organisms called ostracod crustaceans, also known as seed shrimp."

"Crustaceans huh? So that would mean that these are zooplankton." Aviva hypothesized.

"You got it."Chris congratulated with a thumbs up and a wink.

"Although they hugely resemble phytoplankton, there's a major difference between them. As phytoplankton collide with the beach or the sea, their glow just lasts for a few seconds." the older Kratt lectured, pulling up a holographic image from his Creaturepod.

Chris took over for his brother. "These astounding ostracod crustaceans here in the Maldives glow for a minute or even longer. They secrete cypridinid luciferin and luciferase from glands on their upper lips so that the luminescence is external and not internal as with phytoplankton."

"But they both have one thing in common: they light up whenever they're disturbed." To demonstrate, Martin allowed his hand to gently skim through the surface of the water, creating a blazing streak of light. "I call it, the firefly effect."

"Wow..." said the pilot, his initial fear gone, replaced with awe and fascination.

"They're beautiful."commented the inventor.

"You can say that again. What's with the glow?"asked Koki.

"No one knows."the Kratt in blue answered. "Some say its to lure mates like fireflies."

"Others believe it's to attract larger fish to the area in order to eat the smaller fish who are the ostracod's predators."theorized the younger creature adventurer.

Soon the temptation to experiment with the ostracods became too much to resist. The team stood ankle deep in the water, lightly brushing the shimmering surface with their hands like the careful paint strokes of the artist, watching their creations come to life with a brilliant glow. As Koki and Jimmy Z made circles and figure eights, Aviva looked upon her work with a proud smile: the paw print insignia of the Wild Kratts team.

"This is _so_ cool!" Jimmy chuckled, running his hand along the vibrant bloom when a sudden spray of glowing sea water splashed into his face. "Hey!" The result was a glow-in-the-dark beard that earned laughter from the rest of the team.

"What–what was that?"asked the bewildered redhead, shaking the glowing plankton from his face.

The others looked beyond the glowing surf and towards the black ocean. For a while they saw nothing before spying several ghostly, streamlined shapes cruising along the bioluminescent bloom, creating shimmering greenish-blue streaks in their wake.

"There's your answer JZ!"cried Martin in excitement, immediately recognizing the marine creatures swimming in what seemed like a sea of stars.

"Bottlenose dolphins!"added Chris with a matching grin.

 _ **(BG Music: The Child (Inside) by Qkumba Zoo)**_

Along the edge of the shoreline, half a dozen or so Bottlenose dolphins swam in the shallows, shoulder to shoulder with each other. Before anyone could anticipate it, the cetaceans launched themselves straight out of the water like rubbery arrows until they descended back down with a splash. As the acrobatic marine mammals cut through the water, their bodies and the water trailing behind them glowed a beautiful blue light.

"Wow! A never before seen creature moment!"exclaimed the Kratt in green, completely mesmerized by this new spectacle. The surfing cetaceans looked for all the world like ancient ocean spirits dancing in the waves, leaving a trail of cold fire in their wake.

"¡Que magnífico!"

As they watched the dolphins dance among the surf, Martin nudged Chris with his elbow. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"he asked with a wink.

In no time, the Kratt in green caught on to whatever was on his brother's mind. "Oh, I'm definitely thinking what you're thinking!"he replied with a wide grin.

"I think we're thinking the same thing." With that, Martin's foot shoveled across the sand underneath where he stood, revealing their Creature Power Suits buried for such an occasion. Chris may have been the more organized of the two, but the older Kratt was always the best prepared. "We gotta get in there!"

Donning their vests and gloves, the Kratt Brothers dove in to join the frolicking cetaceans, wasting no in swimming within touching range.

"Activate Dolphin Powers!"

In two flashes as radiant as the surrounding planktonic bloom, two more dolphins, blue and green, joined in the festivities.

"Now _this_ is what I call dancing with the stars!"said Martin in exhilaration.

"You said it, bro!"Chris remarked.

Back on the beach, Aviva, Koki, and Jimmy joined in on the fun as they were now wading knee-deep in the surf, spinning, laughing, dancing and splashing one another in this glimmering aquatic light show, setting the surrounding water ablaze with every splash and movement. Presently, a flash of green rapidly streaked past the inventor, cutting the surface with its dorsal fin as it drenched her with a bioluminescent spray, courtesy of its tail flukes. Aviva squealed in surprise at the sudden downpour in spite of her attempt to shield herself from the blast. Recovered from her initial shock, he saw none other than her boyfriend in a Dolphin Power Suit, grinning mischievously.

"Wanna go for a spin, babe?"asked the green dolphin coyly in his best greaser impression.

She giggled at the mediocre impersonation but obliged. "I thought you'd never ask."

Once he felt that Aviva had a firm grip on his dorsal fin, Bottlenose Chris glided effortlessly across the fluorescent water at dolphin speed, heading further away from the shore, oftentimes diving beneath the surface.

Feeling a bit brazen, the inventor carefully clambered upon the green cetacean's back until she was practically standing on a living surfboard. The young inventor whooped and laughed cheerfully at the exhilaration of feeling the wind in her hair, the salty spray of the sea that glistened and flowed as though the waves themselves were decorated with December lights.

Chris cheered her on. "Alright, Aviva!"

The only problem was that the living surfboard under her feet was rather slick and slippery. Aviva had difficulty keeping her balance and almost fell over until Chris flicked his tail upwards, keeping her steady.

Eventually the green marine mammal slowly began to sink further beneath the surface. It wouldn't be long before he was completely submerged. Aviva immediately took a deep inhale of air and catapulted herself off the green dolphin with a splash before following him as he swam deeper into the depths.

Upon reaching the bottom, Chris used his modified dolphin snout to uncover something buried within the sand, all the while using his tail as a leverage, sending clouds of debris billowing into the water. Aviva watched this activity in puzzlement; she didn't remember the Dolphin Power programming to go haywire like that last adventure with the Tasmanian devils, so it was unlikely that her boyfriend was having sudden cravings for raw fish buried under the sand.

"Ta-da!" The inventor snapped out of her thoughts once Chris was finished with his excavation, holding something in his mouth.

It was _her_ Creature Power Suit and it was already loaded with the proper Power disk.

Without another moment's delay, Aviva donned her CPS before once again clinging onto the green cetacean as he went to join the other dolphins who were still frolicking and playing in the surf, Martin being one of them. As the pair neared the surface for much needed air, they were flagged by a pair of young dolphins.

Bottlenose Chris laughed in merriment, recognizing the playful individuals. "Hey, Whistle! And Click!"

The inventor chose that moment to reach out and gently touch the nearest dolphin. Then the moment of truth. "Activate Dolphin Power!"

Soon the sea was glowing in a brilliant flash of violet. Chris squinted his eyes while Whistle and Click looked on in curiosity. As suddenly as it began, the glow faded, revealing Aviva in a Dolphin Power Suit. In that moment, the green dolphin's eyes grew as wide as saucers, jaw dropping; before him was the most beautiful marine mammal he had ever seen.

Acting on instinct, the purple cetacean playfully nudged the stunned creature adventurer with her streamlined body, awakening him out of his trance as she swam away with an encouraging wink, urging him to follow. Chris got the message and chased after her, an almost predatory smirk on his features.

Transformed into creatures of grace and exuberance, the couple swooped and dived, trailing plumes of bubbles. They raced through the coral reef, weaving in and out of many curious rock formations, caverns, and scattering shoals of fish, whose scales shimmered, giving them the appearance of exotic underwater lanterns. As they reached more open water, the two dolphins made twirls and loop de loops beneath the surface, leaving two intertwining trails that glowed in their wake.

The chase went on until both shared the need for air. As they rose to the surface, Chris and Aviva gracefully twirled close to each other, gradually picking up speed as they ascended, ultimately shooting out of the water in an explosion of cold fire.

With plenty of energy left to spend, the two performed a great deal of acrobatic maneuvers, leaping and breaching, each trying to outdo the other. Chris leapt out of the water, performing three backflips before returning with a _SPLASH!_ Aviva answered by launching herself skywards with a corkscrew, spinning around in midair until she landed in a brilliant tidal ball of seawater and bioluminescent zooplankton.

As Chris recovered from the aftermath of that unexpected splash, the purple cetacean promptly surfaced, playfully spitting water at him with her artificial mouth. Needless to say, both marine mammals whistled with laughter before resuming their play.

The couple's playful competition drew the attention of the rest of the team as they watched from the shallows. Even the other dolphins halted their activities to watch these newcomers, the green and the violet, dancing with the stars.

"Go, Caviva!"hollered Martin from his place within the pod, cheering them on. It was only a matter of time before Jimmy Z and Koki also gave their yells of encouragement. Even the dolphins themselves squealed and whistled their support in Dolphinese.

Whether or not they heeded their applauding audience, the two dolphin lovers moved together in perfect synchronization, leaping and splashing side by side as though they were mirrored images of each other.

Before long they were spent, content to merely lounging on the ocean's glowing surface which was once again as smooth and as clear as glass. Bottlenose Aviva closed her eyes as she breathed a sigh of bliss, laying her head against Chris' left flank. He nuzzled her back with equal tenderness, placing a flipper behind her dorsal fin. Nothing else mattered; it was just the two of them.

 _ ****** Fin.. pardon the pun.. :P**_

 _ **All jokes aside, that concludes this short story. I hope y'all enjoyed it, I know I had a lot fun writing it. Another thing that the Maldives are famous for are the spectacular bioluminescent light shows that occur along the beaches on certain nights, making them a popular attraction among tourists.**_

 _ **Now I was originally gonna have Martin sing Yellow Submarine until I found Obladi Oblada. That song fit like a glove for the crazy creature adventurer we all know and love. And who doesn't know What a Wonderful World by Louie Armstrong?**_

 _ **I used an artistic license for the dolphin sequence**_ _**because I thought it'd be cool, not to mention it had that energetic feel to it that was perfect for the chosen track..**_

 _ **Stay tuned for more updates. Keep on creature adventuring..**_


	10. Alternate Version

The sun had already gone down when Chris and Aviva finally made their way back to the Tortuga HQ to join the others at the bonfire. They were in no particular hurry as they leisurely strolled throughout the forest pathway hand in hand, passing towering coconut palms and other tropical flora. Nearing the stretch of beach where the turtle ship was parked, the pair heard the team long before they saw them; the bell-like chimes of a tambourine mingling with the steady beating of drums and the musical strumming of an acoustic guitar.

"... _happy ever after in the market place_

 _Desmond lets the children lend a hand_

 _Molly stays at home and does her pretty face_

 _And in the evening she's a singer with the band,"_

Stifling the laughter which threatened to bubble from their lips, the Kratt in green and the Wild Kratts inventor immediately recognized the singer to be Martin.

"What song is _that?_ "asked Aviva incredulously, raising an eyebrow at the unfamiliar and whimsical tune.

"Definitely Obladi Oblada by the Beatles."answered Chris with a chuckle. "One of Martin's favorites."

Oblivious to the approaching couple, the older Kratt sang on. " _Ob la di, ob-la-da, life goes on, bra_

 _La-la, how the life goes on_

 _Ob-la di, ob-la-da, life goes on, bra_

 _La-la, how the life goes on,"_

Seated on another log on the guitarist's right side, Koki and Jimmy Z added rhythm to the song, the Tortuga computer whizz shaking and rattling the tambourine while the pilot's hands gently and steadily drummed upon the bongos in his lap.

"Called it."smirked the younger Kratt triumphantly.

"Figures."replied Aviva with an amused eye roll; this song definitely suited the older yet more free spirited of the two creature adventurers. "Though I gotta admit, he's really good with the guitar."

"That's my bro,"he replied with a proud smile.

 _"And if you want some fun, sing ob-la-di, bla-da!_ "

Once the song had concluded, the others dropped their perspective instruments and broke into a round of applause as the blue guitarist took a bow.

"Thank you! You're too kind!"

In that moment, Chris and Aviva decided to step into the firelight to join in the cheering for Martin.

"Way to go, bro!"hollered the younger Kratt as the inventor whooped cheerfully.

"Bravo Martino!"cheered the inventor.

"Chris! Aviva! Glad you guys could finally join us!"called the older Kratt.

"You two sure took your sweet time."the Tortuga pilot remarked as he munched on a bag of potato chips.

"What took y'all so long?"asked Koki wearing a slight smirk, her arms folded. Chris and Aviva only cast knowing glances.

"Oh, you know."replied the young Kratt before he and his girlfriend finished in perfect synchronization, "A stroll along the beach." This caused them to stare at one another in surprise before breaking into laughter. They were already finishing each other's sentences.

"If you say so," replied the computer whizz to the couple with a shrug, deciding not to press the matter further. The two sat on an unoccupied log at Martin's right side where Chris immediately reached for a nearby bag of marshmallows before skewering one over a stick, roasting it over the open fire. "Alright! Marshmallows! Crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside." He then offered some for his girlfriend. "Wanna bite?"

"Muchísimas gracias, Cariño." said the Tortuga inventor sweetly, accepting the ballistic treat as she planted a kiss on Chris' cheek.

"By the way, like the hair, Aviva."complimented the Kratt in blue with a wink. Instead of the usual ponytail, the inventor's curly, chocolate brown hair cascaded freely over her shoulders, adorned with a violet flower behind her right ear.

"That's a good look for you."added JZ with a thumbs up.

"Girl, you should let your hair down more often." Koki remarked.

Aviva flushed red at the compliments as Chris cast her a triumphant smirk. "See? Told ya. You look _beautiful_ ," Her blush deepened.

"Thanks." she chirped.

"Now it's your turn, brother O mine!"hollered Martin with a dramatic guitar strum.

"My turn? For what?"asked the younger Kratt, completely clueless.

"To sing a campfire song, ya big dummy!"reminded the Tortuga technician, rattling her tambourine.

"Yeah!"added JZ, drumming his bongos.

"Oh right! Way ahead of you, guys!"the Kratt in green replied with a wink; he already had a song in mind.

"Any requests?"Martin asked, adjusting the strings on his acoustic guitar. The younger Kratt promptly whispered in his brother's ear. "You got it!"the older Kratt nodded, a wide grin upon his face as he began to strum the desired notes upon the stringed instrument.

"Now this song, I want to dedicate to a very special someone."the younger Kratt began, raising himself from his seat. "She's stuck by my side through thick and thin, and supported me in every way possible. She's so talented and passionate in inventing, that it's safe to say that this team would be nothing without her brilliant mind and expertise. This song is dedicated to the greatest scientist in the world... and my best friend."

"Hey!"shouted Martin, feigning offense.

"Other than you, Martin."Chris corrected sheepishly with a chuckle. "This one's for you, Aviva."here he rested his brown eyes firmly upon the inventor, making her gray eyes glow in surprise; she was definitely not expecting a serenade. After clearing his throat, he began.

" _She sings to me now and then_

 _Gentle refrains of summer mornings_

 _The first rays of sunlight_

 _And dew-dropped roses_

 _Winds rolling through falling leaves_

 _Whistling in the sycamores_

 _These are her songs of love_

 _She needs to be reassured_

 _of all of the hope you hold for her_

 _And when the lady loves you_

 _Don't ever let it go_

 _Take your world into your arms_

 _And let your feelings show_

 _And she, never will leave_

 _Always these memories will stay with me_

 _And I'll think of her now and then_

 _She, she needs to be reassured_

 _of all of the hope you hold for her_

 _And brother, when the lady loves you_

 _Don't ever let it go_

 _Take your world into your arms_

 _And let your feelings show_

 _And she, never will leave_

 _Always these memories will stay with me_

 _And I'll think of her now and then."_

Scarcely had the song ended when the rest of the team burst into a round of applause for Chris, who humbly bowed appreciatively.

In that moment, Aviva was on her feet and rushed to her boyfriend, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Chris.."she began, her voice thick with emotion, her eyes shedding tears of joy, "did you really mean it?"

"Every word."he replied, rubbing the smalls of her back. "From the bottom of my heart. I love you, Aviva."

"Yo también te amo."

Before too long, claps turned into shouts and whistles.

"Kiss you two!"hollered Martin mischievously. The older creature adventurer was then joined by Koki and Jimmy who eagerly took up the chorus. "Kiss her! Kiss her! Kiss her!"

Chris and Aviva shrugged, exchanging glances. "Let's give them what they want."the inventor whispered in her boyfriend's ear as she grabbed his face, planting her lips against his. Surprised at first, he soon became relaxed into it as he constricted his arms around her waist, deepening the kiss. Soon, much to the pair's slight disappointment, the need for air forced them to part, but they still touched foreheads. For a moment, they were oblivious to either the Tortuga technician's fangirlish squeals or the mischievous claps and whistles from the guys, their eyes solely focused on each other, stormy gray meeting hazel brown.

 _ ****** Surprise! Bet y'all didn't see that one coming! This here's only an alternative version of the last chapter, everything else is still the same. This song's called Now And Then, by Kenny Loggins, and it was a request from my good friend LionKingAlex who's a diehard fan of 80's music..**_

 _ **This one's for you, buddy!**_


	11. Rumors

The Wild Kratts team was stationed in the rugged landscape of the Yukon Territory in northwestern Canada, creature adventuring with the ferocious and elusive wolverine, a small bearlike member of the weasel family. The creature encounter quickly turned into a creature emergency upon finding out about Zach Varmitech's hair-brained scheme of turning the wolverines into his latest security robots, undoubtedly inspired by their famous ferocity that would frighten even a grizzly bear.

"Not so fast, Zach!"growled Chris.

"Let those wolverines go!"demanded Aviva.

Chris and Aviva were currently in the evil inventor's cargo plane to put an end to his diabolical plan, the former in a Wolverine Power Suit. Martin had been captured in an earlier attempt to free the imprisoned mustelids and was now behind bars along with dozens of the animals he had hoped to save. Unlike previous times, there were no formalities, no words of persuasion, for ever since the incident with the poachers three months prior, the Kratt Brothers had given up on trying to make the villains see reason. Nine times out of ten, they simply didn't care and continued with their crimes against Nature. It was apparent that they only understood one language, and that was what they probably needed to deploy if the worst came to the worst.

"Why don't you make me?"taunted Zach as he pressed a button on his master controller. "Zachbots! _Get them!_ "

In that instant, several of Zach's robotic cronies appeared out of the shadows and quickly surrounded the pair. As the machines inched their way closer, Chris safeguarded Aviva as he readied his claws for action.

"I'll handle the Zachbots!"he told her. "You go and free Martin and the wolverines!"

"You got it, sweetie!"

But before the green glutton could even lift a claw against his foes, the Zachbots suddenly halted their advances at a gesture from their master. "Wait. Time out!" Walking up to the pair, he asked, "Did she just call you 'sweetie'?"

"Yeah?" Chrisverine replied, raising an eyebrow, a little unsure of where this was going. By his side, Aviva only narrowed her eyes. All the while, her rival's mechanical henchmen didn't move so much as a circuit.

"So that means that Green Guy and Ms. Smartypants are–?"

"Uhh. Yeah."the pair answered cautiously.

"You got it!"called Martin from his prison cell,earning a glare from his brother.

After what seemed like an eternity, the evil inventor connected the dots in his brain.

 _ ***ding!***_

The instant the mental bell went off in his head, Zach's green eyes flew wide open. "No flipping way!" The moment he did, he exploded in a fit of hysterical laughter, much to Chris and Aviva's chagrin.

"That is _not_ happening right now!"he exclaimed, leaning against one of his robots for support. " _No!_ Hey, Zachbots! Get a load of this. Ms. Know-it-all is dating that animal-loving loser! How precious!"

The entire cargo plane echoed with the robotic monotone laughter of the Zachbots joining those of their maker. The creature adventurer and the inventor exchanged incredulous glances.

"Chris and Aviva, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Zach mocked in a singsong voice, riding on the back of one of his minions. Seeing that Zach was too preoccupied with his jeering and making kissy faces, the pair wasted no time in rushing over to free the captured wolverines from the holding cell.

While that rescue operation was underway, the evil inventor, oblivious to all else, went into his private quarters, typing and dialing a pair of contacts on his computer. On the computer panel, two faces appeared on screen, one a fashion designer, and the other a burly cook, both looking rather annoyed.

"Hello, Donita. Hello, Gourmand. I'm glad you could join my conference call. You're never going to believe this: Chris and Aviva are officially a couple!" Upon hearing the news, the villains' deadpan expressions quickly morphed into looks of interest, soon replaced by mischievous grins as they burst into laughter.

"Well it's about time!"bellowed Gourmand as he clutched his stomach.

"Oh mon ami, c'est l'amour."said Donita with a playful sigh.

Needless to say, the villains were being far from discreet about his gossiping as the Wild Kratts could hear every word being said. Chrisverine could only look on with a blank expression while his imprisoned brother tried his hardest not to laugh. The Tortuga inventor scowled, blushing furiously as she clenched her fists. "Why that narcissistic, six-toed–"

Her boyfriend was quick to put out her fuse, "Quick! While he's distracted, let's go!" Several unlocked cages later, the Kratt in blue and his furry companions were freed. Without sparing so much as a backwards glance, Martin, Chris, Aviva, and the newly released wolverines made a beeline for the exit, disappearing among the forest undergrowth. Needless to say, the Tortuga inventor stopped to shake her fist at the gray cargo plane only to be pulled back into the trees by the Kratt in green.

Several minutes later, Zach returned to the cargo hold, still laughing, wiping away a few mirthful tears from his eyes. At least until the inventor's laughter ended in a rather violent coughing fit. A Zachbot suddenly appeared with a glass of water for its master.

"Thanks, Zachbot. Now where was I?" Looking around the prison cells, his merriment completely shattered as he found the cages emptied. The Zachbots were still formed in a circle facing inwards, but his uninvited guests were nowhere to be found.

" _Aww phooey! I'll get you next time you Wild Rats!"_

 _ ****** Elsewhere...******_

"Creature Mission accomplished!"said Martin once he, Chris, Aviva, and the wolverines were miles away from Zach's plane. The Kratt in blue cast the couple a mischievous grin. "Gotta say, guys, that was probably the easiest creature rescue ever."

Rolling his eyes, Chris playfully elbowed his brother in the ribs. "Yeah, but what matters is that the wolverines are where they belong, living free and in the wild." One by one, the normally solitary mustelids retreated to their own parts of the boreal forest to carry out their ways, business as usual.

The Kratt in green's smile faded as he realized that his girlfriend had been silent the entire trip back, the scowl still etched on her face. "What's wrong, Aviva? You're not still mad about Zach making fun of us, are you?"

"What? Of course not!"she snapped. Chris simply crossed his arms, the questioning expression on his face told her he wasn't convinced. "Maybe?" Finally, she heaved a sigh. "Alright. Maybe I still _am."_

The young Kratt smiled as he wrapped an arm around her waist. "You know what I think? I think Zach's just jealous that he's not dating the world's greatest scientist."

A moment of silence... before Aviva's scowl melted into a beaming smile. "Oh, you're just saying that,"she said, trying to be modest, her cheeks flushing pink.

"What? It's true. And the most beautiful might I add." As he continued to compliment her, Chris began to pepper Aviva with kisses along her face, causing the inventor to giggle and laugh.

"Chris! Por favor.. Sto-hahahap!"she begged in between laughs, playfully swatting him away before ruffling his spiky hair. The Kratt in green chuckled in response; he always delighting in making her laugh and smile. Chris' eyes flew wide open as Aviva closed the distance, planting her lips with his. She parted abruptly, giggling at his bewildered face.

"Gracias, Cariño."

"Ahem. Hello? Older brother still here."

The startled couple looked over their shoulders to see Martin leaned back against an oak tree with his arms crossed, a mischievous smirk on his face. In their frisky play, they had completely forgotten about his presence.

"Martin, haven't you heard of knocking?"asked Aviva, mildly annoyed. Chris cast his brother a deadpan expression.

"Okay, first off, I'm pretty sure that only applies when you're _inside_ , not out,"the older Kratt cracked with a chuckle, "and second, where's the fun in that?" Martin could no longer contain himself as he erupted into full blown laughter. "I can't— I can't believe it took Zach _that_ long to figure it out! His face! Anyone with eyes can see it whenever you two are making googly eyes or holding hands."

The inventor and the young Kratt exchanged annoyed glances. "And I thought _Zach_ was annoying."mumbled Aviva, grateful that she was an only child.

Her boyfriend heaved a sigh, slapping a palm to his forehead. "Welcome to _my_ world."he remarked. Even though he was the younger of the two, their individual behavior would lead one into believing that it was the other way around. Martin was very mischievous and playful, while Chris' mood was a notch less jolly.

Suddenly they felt something furry rub against their legs. Glancing at their feet, the pair found themselves face to face with a wolverine cub, gnawing at Chris' boots, tugging at the shoelaces.

"Aww, hi Sweetie."cooed Aviva.

"Wanna play, little guy?"asked the younger Kratt, addressing their surprise guest. The little glutton continued to tussle and bite the creature adventurer's boot.

The couple exchanged devilish smirks, the same idea on both their minds.

Martin still laughing to his heart's content, banging upon the oak tree he used as support when–

"Martin?"

The older Kratt recovered from his laughing fit, only to see Chris looming over him, once again in his Wolverine Power Suit, a vengeful, predatory grin playing across his face. Next to him stood Aviva with the wolverine cub in her arms, with an expression that mirrored the green glutton's. Martin gulped in dread.

" _Run_."

 _ ****** Couldn't resist. It was only a matter of time before Zach and the other villains found out.. and of course, MK's never gonna let them live it down..**_


End file.
